First Look at PBS 'Astrid' Remake 'Patience' Introduces The New Duo

Filming for Patience, the highly anticipated English-language remake of the fan-favorite French series Astrid (Astrid et Raphaëlle), has just completed in the U.K., and with the end of filming comes the announcement that a distributor on that side of the pond has signed on to air the series. The show already had a confirmed broadcaster in the U.S., with PBS boarding the show from the jump due to Astrid's word-of-mouth popularity on PBS Passport as part of the Walter Presents collection of foreign favorites. Channel 4, the U.K. home of Walter Presents, was the natural fit for the show, but the network held off until there was a finished product before agreeing.

The original France 2 series Astrid et Raphaëlle, which Walter Presents shortened to Astrid for U.K. and U.S. audiences, begins when DCI Raphaëlle Coste (Lola Dewaere) meets police archivist Astrid Nielsen (Sara Mortensen), an autistic savant who hides herself away in the basement of the precinct. An autistic savant who has become a walking encyclopedia of criminology, Raphaelle recognizes her value in the field and starts taking her out on cases over the protests of both their superiors. Despite initial misgivings and stumbles, the two soon become an unstoppable team and the best of friends. 

However, France is not exactly known for their diversity, and with Mortensen, Astrid's producers cast a neurotypical actor to play a neurodivergent character. The English remake quietly corrects this bias, with neurodivergent actor Ella Maisy Purvis playing neurodivergent protagonist Patience in the new version.

Here is the series synopsis, which notably centers Patience’s POV rather than the woman who discovers her:

Patience Evans works in the criminal records department of Yorkshire Police, cataloging and filing the evidence produced during major cases. A young autistic woman, she craves routine and order, relishing the solitude and structure her job provides, but she yearns for more. A brilliant, self-taught criminologist, Patience has an instinctive eye for crime scenes and a passion for problem-solving.Detective Bea Metcalf is the first person to spot and utilize her talent, which opens a door into a whole new world for Patience.  Patience attends a regular support group for autistic adults where they discuss the barriers in operating in a neuro-typical world and how best to navigate it. 

Laura Fraser (Outlander) plays Bea Metcalf, the show’s version of Raphaëlle Coste, with Purvis as Patience Evans, the titular analog of Astrid. Other cast members include Ali Ariaie (The Great), Nathan Welsh (Domina), Tom Lewis (Gentleman Jack), Liza Sadovy (Ridley Road), Sabina Arthur (Queen Charlotte), Jamie Maclachlan (Slow Horses), Joseph Arkley (The Capture), and Rupert Holliday-Evans (Showtrial). Neurodiverse actors will play all neurodivergent characters in the series.

Matt Baker (Hotel Portofino) is the lead writer, with a team of Stephen Brady, Sarah Freethy, and Daniella DeVinter, all of whom have personal experience relating to autism. Director Maarten Moerkerke helmed all six episodes. Eagle Eye’s Jo McGrath and Walter Iuzzolino executive produce.

Patience Season 1 does not have a premiere date on PBS or Channel 4 yet, but it is expected to air sometime in the 2024-2025 TV season. Astrid Seasons 1 through 3 are streaming for members of PBS Passport, with Season 4 expected to join them in the coming months. Season 5 is greenlit and expected to air on France 2 this holiday season.