Following the success of one-off comedy drama Murder on the Blackpool Express in 2017, Gold is bringing back Johnny Vegas and Sian Gibson’s much-loved characters Terry and Gemma in Death on the Tyne. The pair will reunite with a whole host of comedy greats as they embark on a brand-new murder mystery caper.
Johnny Vegas and Sian Gibson quipped: “The script is just a wonderful flowering garden of Cook's writing and we are just two happy bees dancing in among the nectar of blood, betrayal and nautical based murder. We are loving once again being the Kylie and Jason of budget travel slaughter.”
The feature-length murder mystery, produced by BAFTA award-winning Shiny Button Productions, is set on a ferry and lines up an impressive ensemble cast including Sue Johnston(The Royle Family), Felicity Montagu (Bridget Jones’s Diary, I’m Alan Partridge), Doon Mackichan (Smack the Pony, Two Doors Down), Georgie Glen (Calendar Girls, Damned), Don Gilet (EastEnders), Tony Gardner (Stella, Fresh Meat), James Fleet (Vicar of Dibley), Taj Atwal(Stella, In the Club), David Mumeni (The Windsors, Fearless) and the return of Sheila Reid(Benidorm) as Mildred.
Terry (Johnny Vegas) and Gemma (Sian Gibson) promise to take Mildred (Sheila Reid) and her care home friends, including Hilda (Georgie Glen) and Colleen (Sue Johnston) on an Amsterdam cruise adventure across the Tyne.
They’re welcomed aboard the Empress of the Tyne by ageing lothario Captain Jack (James Fleet) and his motley crew - Cruise Director Denise (Felicity Montagu), First Officer Justin Valentine (Tony Gardner), DJ Bobby (David Mumeni), ex-pianist Alan (Don Gilet), barmaid Tracy (Taj Atwal) and self-obsessed cabaret singer Emily (Doon Mackichan). It’s not long before things start to go awry in the most puzzling mystery the Tyne has ever seen.
Death on the Tyne is written by Jason Cook (Hebburn, Murder on the Blackpool Express), directed by critically-acclaimed comedy director Ed Bye (French and Saunders, Kevin & Perry Go Large, Red Dwarf, Bottom), with Catherine Gosling Fuller (Derry Girls) as series producer, Mollie Freedman-Berthoud (Murder on the Blackpool Express) as producer, and executive produced by Andy Brereton (Murder in Successville) for Shiny Button. The UKTV Original was ordered by director of commissioning Richard Watsham and Steve North, genre general manager for comedy and entertainment for Gold. Pete Thornton is executive producer for UKTV.
Jason Cook’s first outing Murder on the Blackpool Express was the most watched show ever onGold with 1.8 million viewers*.
Pete Thornton, senior commissioning editor said: “It’s a real joy to be taking to the high seas (or at least the Tyne Estuary) with the hugely talented team at Shiny Button (this time with award winning director Ed Bye at the helm). Jason Cook has come up with a jewel of a script, toiling through the long winter months to create another complex, properly funny and hugely satisfying feature length murder mystery – packed with characters to die for, or indeed be killed by.”
Gerald Casey, channel director for Gold added: “We’re delighted to be reuniting Sian and Johnny for another hilarious and thrilling whodunnit, alongside an equally stellar cast. Murder on the Blackpool Express was overwhelmingly loved by the Gold viewers and these shows embody our commitment to new, exciting and original comedy alongside our familiar favourites.”
Andy Brereton, Exec Producer for Shiny Button added: “I cannot wait for viewers to see Johnny, Sian and Shelia back to their sleuthing best, in a cracking new mystery by Jason Cook. I like to think that if she were still alive this would be Agatha Christie’s favourite show, after Taskmaster”.
Death on the Tyne will air later this year on Gold.
