Mark Gatiss Returns With New Postwar London Detective Drama Bookish

Mark Gatiss, co-creator of the BBC's Sherlock, has launched a new detective drama called Bookish, set in postwar London in 1946. Gatiss stars as Gabriel Book, a genial antiquarian bookshop owner who assists the police with investigations, using his extensive knowledge and intuition rather than dramatic deductions or superpowers. The series explores contemporary themes through the lens of its period setting, notably Book's hidden identity as a gay man in a lavender marriage, reflecting social stigmas of the time. Bookish intertwines murder mysteries with deeper character dynamics, including Book's relationship with his wife Trottie and his new assistant Jack, a recently released ex-convict. Gatiss emphasizes a realistic portrayal of crime's darker aspects, inspired by his research into the grim realities behind historical cases, while maintaining an undercurrent of optimism amid the era's postwar challenges. The show balances classic cozy crime elements with nuanced social commentary, and has already been renewed for a second series.