BritBox Developing 'A Taste for Murder' With Phyllis Logan

Hotel Portofino was about halfway through Season 3 in the summer of 2024 when Eagle Eye Drama's Jo McGrath, the studio behind the series, revealed there were plans for a second series set in Italy. As part of the public-facing Eagle Eye team along with Walter Iuzzolino, the two were drawn to the region. "Walter is Italian, I love Italy... We are currently writing another crime procedural set in Italy. We can't announce that yet, but we look forward to it." Six months on, that series, A Taste for Murder, has finally been announced and will star a PBS favorite, Downton Abbey's Phyllis Logan.

Though the title sounds straight out of the Agatha Christie catalog, the series is an entirely original show created and written by Matt Baker, the creator behind Hotel Portofino, who also adapted both Patience and Professor T from the Walter Presents series Astrid and Professor T. Set in Capri, A Taste for Murder features "classic Italian cuisine as the main ingredient to each episode’s central murder mystery," which means it gears toward multiple audiences: cozy crime buffs, those who love staring at Italian landscapes, and foodies.

The series was scooped up by BritBox, currently fighting hard to make real inroads in the U.S. and international entertainment spaces. (This absolutely would have been a PBS series a decade ago.) BritBox head Robert Schildhouse said, “A Taste for Murder is more than the standard crime procedural—Matt Baker and Eagle Eye Drama have crafted an innovative show that combines mystery, culture, and heart in a way that feels fresh and authentic. We’re proud to commission this series and can’t wait for BritBox audiences to sink their teeth into the clever writing, beautiful backdrops, and delectable recipes."