Acorn TV Announces 'Art Detectives,' Stephen Moyer to Star

Acorn TV is, far and away, the most well-known and most watched of all the AMC Network streamers. Originally a standalone niche streamer launched by Acorn Media (the people who brought you the DVD sets of almost every British show that aired on PBS in the 1990s and 2000s), AMC Networks scooped it up in 2018, not long after it purchased BBC America, and Acorn had remained the crown jewel of its little group ever since, currently still growing with 11.5 million subscribers. Much of its success can be credited to the streaming service's mystery lineup, which now adds a brand-new show to the roster: Art Detectives. 

Much like Acorn TV's other big successes, including Harry Wild, My Life is Murder, Whitstable Pearl, and The Madame Blanc Mysteries, Art Detectives is a vehicle for an actor whose first success was in the 1990s/2000s and is well-known and well-remembered by women over 40. However, there is one big difference with this series: this time, the lead is a man, True Blood's Stephen Moyer, who most recently returned to television in Paramount+'s Sexy Beast, a departure from Acorn TV's tendency to stick to female-fronted cozy crimes.

That being said, the new series is aimed at the Acorn TV audience that loves shows like Madame Blanc; a wholly original idea (i.e., not based on pre-existing novels or rebooted from an older show); Art Detectives is set in the world of arts and antiquing. It follows the exploits of the Heritage Crime Unit. An entirely fictional show, it should not be confused with The Art Detectives, which is what the BBC Four docuseries Britain's Lost Masterpieces streams under in the U.S. on Tubi, or The Artful Detective, which is what Ovation used to call Murdoch Mysteries in the early years of airing the show. (It has since retired that name.)

Here's the series synopsis:

Art Detectives is a compelling new original crime series centered around the Heritage Crime Unit, a police department consisting of art-loving DI Mick Palmer and straight-talking DC Shazia Malik. Together, they solve murders connected to the world of art and antiques, from Old Master paintings to Banksy street art, medieval manuscripts, and collectible vinyl. 

Throughout the season, the artfully astute detectives encounter a fake Vermeer, Viking gold, a rare Chinese vase, and items rescued from the Titanic. It’s a rich, colorful world driven by greed, obsession, lust, and revenge. Mick navigates these demanding cases while managing a budding romance with museum curator Rosa and the sudden reappearance of his charismatic father, Ron, who just happens to be one of Britain’s most notorious forgers.

Moyer plays lead DI Mick Palmer; he'll be joined by a core cast that includes relative newcomer Nina Singh (Chemistry of Death) as secondary lead DC Shazia Malik, Sarah Alexander (Coupling) as love interest Rosa, and Larry Lamb (Gavin & Stacey), as dear old forging dad Ron. Guest stars for the new show's inaugural season will be announced in due course. 

In the press release, Moyer said, “I’m very excited to bring the slightly quirky Mick Palmer to life in this wonderfully creative detective series. The writing team on Art Detectives has done a great job of cleverly weaving together intriguing storylines, notable pieces of art, and a bit of history thrown in for good measure."

The series was conceived by Dan Gaster, Will Ing, and Paul Powell of Black Dog Television, who wrote it along with Emma Goodwin and Kitty Percy. Directors Declan O’Dwyer and Jennie Paddon split helming duties across the six-episode series, with Candida Julian-Jones producing. Moyer is an executive producer, along with Gaster, Ing, and Powell for Black Dog Television; Catherine Mackin & Bea Tammer for Acorn TV/Acorn Media Enterprises; and Daniel March & Klaus Zimmermann for Dynamic Television. 

Art Detectives is currently in production in Belfast and the surrounding Northern Ireland countryside. Acorn TV has slated the new series for a 2025 debut.