PARIS– Miranda Raison (“24: Live Another Day”), Brendan Coyle (“Downton Abbey”), Marc-André Grondin(“C.R.A.Z.Y”) and Denis Ménochet (“Inglourious Basterds”) are set to topline “Spotless,” the upcoming dark comedy series that Tandem Communications is producing for French pay TV Canal Plus.
Ed McCardie (“Shameless”) and Corinne Marrinan (“CSI: Crime Scene Investigation”) co-created the series. Pascal Chaumeil, the helmer of French hit romantic comedy “Heartbreaker,” will direct the first two episodes.
The one-hour drama series – comprising 10 episodes — will be shooting on location in London starting on July 2. It was produced in association with Rosetta Media.
“We’re very excited to be producing our first series for the prestigious Canal+ Original Programming label and to have the platform to expand our narrative into the Premium Television arena,” said Jonas Bauer, Tandem partner, exec VP who is exec producing the show. “Our four highly talented leads, coupled with the voices of our co-creators, Ed McCardie and Corrine Marrinan and our director, Pascall Chaumeil, will prove the perfect mix for this darkly humorous and irreverent family drama.”
“We are delighted to begin production of ‘Spotless,’ featuring talented lead actors Marc-André Grondin and Denis Ménochet, who are great matches for the show’s originality and dark humor,” said Fabrice de la Patellière, director of French drama and co-productions for Canal Plus. “We love Pascal Chaumeil’s work and are excited that he will be directing the first two episodes, starting the series off in a quirky, off-beat style. The channel is taking a thrilling gamble by introducing a new genre to its original programming.”
Tandem Communications was acquired by Studiocanal, the movie studio owned by Canal Plus Group, in Jan. 2012.
Along with shows like Tom Fontana’s “Borgia” and Dominik Moll’s “The Tunnel,” “Spotless” fits the French player’s mandate to boost its offer of premium drama series targeting international audiences. Other ambitious English-language skeins on Canal Plus’ slate include “Versailles,” the period series penned by Simon Mirren and David Wolstencroft which is set to lense on location at the French Palace.
