The U.K’s Channel 5 has commissioned the crime drama Puzzle Lady, with multiple Canadian connections.

Although not a treaty coproduction, Toronto, Vancouver and Venice Beach, Calif.-based prodco December Films is producing the 6 x 60-minute series alongside U.K prodco Factual Fiction.

Toronto-based Channel Zero is co-producing along with Germany’s ZDF Studios. PBS Distribution is the distributor for the U.S. and Canada, while ZDF Studios will be distributing throughout the rest of the world.

The series is based on the books by U.S. author Parnell Hall. It stars BAFTA-winning actor Phyllis Logan (Downton Abbey; pictured) as a woman who becomes embroiled in a local murder investigation when she assists the police in solving a case where the victim had a crossword puzzle left on their body. Factual Fiction’s Tom Dalton is directing the series with Dominique Moloney as the series writer.

Production is now underway in Northern Ireland. The series is slated for release on Channel 5 in 2025.

Executive producing the crime drama is Todd Berger (Wynonna Earp) and Julie Di Cresce (Boot Camp) for December Films, and Patrick Irwin (The Fall), Moloney (Land Girls), Tom Dalton (Agatha and the Midnight Murders) and Emily Dalton (Agatha and the Truth of Murder) for Factual Fiction.

Additional EPs include Jennifer Chen, head of studios and VP of content at Channel Zero Studios; Daniel Mekinda, EVP and head of GroupM Motion Entertainment Canada; Paul Testar (All Creatures Great and Small) and Sebastian Cardwell (Dalgliesh) for Channel 5; and Yi Qiao (Top Dog) and Robert Franke (The Island) for ZDF Studios.

Photo by Jason Kempin/Getty Images