ITV has announced that Kerry Godliman and Nina Singh will lead a gender-swapped reboot of the detective drama Dalziel and Pascoe. The series reimagines the Reginald Hill novels, featuring the actors as mismatched detectives Andrea Dalziel and Pascoe. Filming is set to begin in the north of England this spring.
The reboot updates the original BBC series, which aired for a decade and starred Warren Clarke as Dalziel and Colin Buchanan as Pascoe. Based on Reginald Hill's novels, the story follows an abrasive veteran detective paired with a by-the-book rookie. In this contemporary version, the duo forms a partnership marked by clashing methods but underscored by humour, heart, and humanity.
Kerry Godliman, known for roles in After Life and Trigger Point, will portray Detective Inspector Andrea Dalziel. She described the character as "assertively charming" and noted: "It's a juicy role as she's such an interesting personality – accomplished at her job, warm, but also direct to the point of being abrasive. Weary and warm hearted. Lots to get my teeth into!"
Nina Singh, from Virdee and Art Detectives, takes on the role of Pascoe. She said: "It's an absolute honour to be playing Pascoe to Kerry Godliman's Dalziel. I find Kerry hilarious, so I know at times I’ll struggle not to be laughing. Colette Kane and the writing team have incorporated humour so well into the scripts at the same time as keeping you constantly guessing what will happen next – in true Dalziel and Pascoe form."
Co-created by Colette Kane, who has worked on Netflix's Dept Q, ITV's Vera, and 5's Dalgliesh, the project involves co-creator Daisy Martey from Vikings: Valhalla, writers Chris Ryden, Jon Rowe, and Danusia Samal from Bodies, and director Isher Sahota, known for Harlan Coben adaptations like Run Away and Missing You.
ITV commissioner Nana Hughes commented last month on the initial announcement: "At the heart of this series is the enduring, unexpected chemistry between two very different detectives, and we're excited to explore that new dynamic."
The series will air on ITV1 and ITVX soon after filming starts in spring.
