Bestselling author Alexander McCall Smith’s Edinburgh-set Isabel Dalhousie series of novels — also known as the “The Sunday Philosophy Club” series — is being brought to the small screen.
Synchronicity Films (“The Tattooist of Auschwitz,” “Mayflies,” “The Cry”) have optioned the rights to the internationally popular books, with Andrea Gibb (“Miss Austen,” “Mayflies”) attached to adapt them for television and All3Media International on board to distribute.
Set to be a returnable crime series, “Dalhousie” will follow the wilfully determined and stubbornly independent lead character, neither a detective nor a police officer, but rather a philosopher and the editor of the Journal of Applied Ethics. As the description goes, it’s “Isabel’s profound curiosity and strong sense of morality that see her drawn into mysteries that should, quite frankly, be none of her business.”
“I am thrilled to be adapting the adventures of Alexander McCall Smith’s delightful amateur sleuth, Isabel Dalhousie, for television,” said Gibb. “She is a fascinating character with a tenacious curiosity driven by a strong moral code and a faith in philosophical thinking, making this series incredibly appealing to dramatise.”
Added McCall Smith: “I am delighted that Synchronicity is keen to translate the Isabel Dalhousie books to the screen. Isabel enjoys a very wide following in many parts of the world, and the idea of a highly-regarded Scottish film company engaging with her story is very attractive to me.”
Set in Scotland’s cobbled capital city of galleries, investment banks, cosy cafes and beautiful vistas, the series’ “story of the week” format will see Dalhousie drawn into new mysteries across each series, with, according to the description, “a new philosophical quandary to be answered, and a tumultuous personal life providing a wealth of stories alongside each crime.”
“We love adapting popular novels for screen at Synchronicity, and I’m especially excited to be in advanced development on this well-loved series from Alexander McCall Smith — the Isabel Dalhousie novels,” said executive producer and Synchronicity Films founder Claire Mundell. “Dalhousie will appeal to viewers around the world who love an iconic female character such as Isabel and an entertaining, characterful, warm-hearted soft crime mystery series, all played out in the visually delicious world of Edinburgh.”
Added: VP scripted content for All3Media International, Lauren Jackson: “With a track record for beautifully made, richly told literary adaptations, we are excited to partner with the brilliant team at Synchronicity on their next project adapting Alexander McCall Smith’s Dalhousie detective series. Isabel Dalhousie is one of fiction’s most richly developed female detectives and with award-winning writer Andrea Gibb set to bring this iconic sleuth to the screen we hope to welcome her to our preeminent detective slate.”
Dalhousie is in development as a 6×60 series, produced by Synchronicity Films and distributed by All3Media International. Mundell and Synchronicity’s head of development Deanne Cunningham (“Endeavour,” “Cold Feet”) will executive produce for Synchronicity Films, alongside Gibb who will adapt the script from McCall Smith’s novels. Both McCall Smith and Gibb will also serve as executive producers. The Isabel Dalhousie series currently consists of fifteen novels, the most recent addition is “The Conditions of Unconditional Love.”
