The Reluctant Madame Blanc (w.t).

Channel 5 and Acorn TV are thrilled to announce the commission of a new six part thriller, The Reluctant Madame Blanc (w.t). Acorn Media International are the distributor for the series, which is co-produced by Clapperboard (Cold Call) and Saffron Cherry Productions. The Reluctant Madame Blanc (w.t) will have its world premiere exclusively on AMC Networks' streaming service Acorn TV in the United States, Canada, Latin America, Australia, New Zealand, Portugal and Spain, and will be broadcast on Channel 5 in the United Kingdom, followed by a second window on Acorn TV UK.

The announcement follows the recent commission from Channel 5 and Acorn TV for Dalgliesh (6 x 60") starring Bertie Carvel, and is a continuation of Channel 5's and Acorn TV's commitments to expand their scripted programming slates.

The new six-part series follows Jean White, a renowned and respected antiques dealer, running a successful business in leafy Cheshire with her husband, Rory. We meet Jean on a rainy morning in Manchester, overcome with grief as she learns that Rory has tragically died on his way home from their vintage treasure-trove stomping grounds in the South of France.

Things are about to take a darker turn for poor Jean when she discovers that along with her husband, all of their money has disappeared, their shop re-mortgaged to the hilt and their assets pawned off. With the final thousands in their joint account ironically spent on Rory's funeral, Jean's life is set adrift... until her solicitor informs her of one thing her beloved did not sell: their cottage in French antiques hub, Saint Victoire. And when Jean finds out that the lavish ring Rory was bringing back to her is nowhere to be found, she quickly realises something is amiss and does the first thing she can think of; arriving in Saint Victoire, will Jean get the answers she is searching for?

The creator of The Reluctant Madame Blanc (w.t) is Sally Lindsay (Cold Call, Mount Pleasant) who will also star as Jean White. Sally has co-written the series with Sue Vincent (Mount Pleasant, Shameless) who will also have an on-screen role. Full casting will be announced later this year.

The series will be directed by Dermot Boyd (Mount Pleasant) and produced by Andy Morgan (Tin Star). Acorn Media Enterprises' Catherine Mackin serves as executive producer on the series for Acorn TV, whilst Mike Benson (Cold Call) is Executive Producer for Clapperboard and Caroline Roberts-Cherry (The World According to Grandpa) for Saffron Cherry.