Matthew Lewis to Lead 'Murder Before Evensong'

Acorn TV has been on a commissioning spree, a move that seems at odds with parent company AMC Networks, whose financial picture has been a disaster for 2024. The streaming service has three brand new shows for 2025, including Art Detectives and Irish Blood, both in the vein of Harry Wild, plus returning favorites The Chelsea Detective, Hidden Assets, The Madame Blanc Mysteries, and Recipes for Love & Murder. But the most interesting of the group is the potential for a Father Brown-like hit with the most recent series, Murder Before Evensong, the first-ever adaptation of the opening novel from the Canon Clement Mysteries, authored by celebrity vicar* Reverend Richard Coles. Acorn TV is co-producing the series with Channel 5 and has now revealed that the lead role will feature a veteran of Channel 5's hit All Creatures Great & Small, Matthew Lewis.

(*Yes, Celebrity Vicars are a real thing in the 21st century. Maybe Grantchester will cover that aspect of the clergy when it reaches Season 40.) 

Lewis, part of the generation who came up on the Harry Potter franchise films, learned the craft from such greats as the late Maggie Smith and Michael Gambon. Since graduating from those films, his career has been one of the more successful of that group, with turns in dramas like Ripper Street and Happy Valley, plus comedies like Girlfriends and his current role in Avoidance. However, in all of those roles (and all in All Creatures), Lewis has played second fiddle to others, landing supporting roles rather than leading ones. Murder Before Evensong marks his first headlining series; combined with the novel's best-seller status in the U.K., the fame of its author, and the show airing on Channel 5 there and Acorn TV here, a streaming service that lives on its cozy crime shows, and this is as close to a surefire hit as TV gets. 

That being said, 2025 is looking to be a rough year for Acorn TV's parent company, even though the platform (and, to a lesser extent, horror streamer Shudder) have been bright spots in the AMCN constellations of niche streamers, bringing in 700K subscribers in the past few months. That's peanuts compared to the competition and does little to offset the continuing decline of cable channels. The focus on greenlight shows for Acorn might seem like a sign that it is the most stable of the group; however, it also makes the streaming service more attractive to potential buyers. Hopefully, if Aocrn TV does not make it to the end of next year, the series will still find a home on streaming.

Here's the series synopsis:

When Daniel announces a plan to install a lavatory in the church, the parish is suddenly (and unexpectedly) divided: as lines are drawn, long-buried secrets come dangerously close to destroying the apparent calm of the village. And then Anthony Bowness - cousin to Bernard de Floures, patron of Champton - is found dead at the back of the church, stabbed in the neck with a pair of secateurs. As the police move in and the bodies start piling up, Daniel is the only one who can try and keep his fractured community together... and catch a killer.

Lewis is currently the only cast confirmed for the series; more is expected in due course. As part of the press release, Lewis enthused: “I’m beyond thrilled to be throwing on the old dog collar and diving into the world of Champton so charmingly created by Rev. Richard Coles. I’ve been an admirer of his work for some time and love the characters and stories he’s written. It’s an honour to work with this creative team and have the opportunity to bring the character of Canon Clement to life for fans of the book and new viewers alike.”

Nick Hicks-Beach (Lewis) will write all episodes of the new adaptation, and director David Moore (Shetland) will helm all installments. Rev. Coles & Radford Neville executive produce for The Lighthouse, Catherine Mackin & Don Klees for Acorn TV/Acorn Media Enterprises, and Paul Testar, Commissioning Editor, Drama for Channel 5.

Murder Before Evensong is slated to begin filming in the West Midlands in 2025. The series is expected to air on Acorn TV and Channel 5 in late 2025/early 2026.