Downton Abbey star leads the cast of Channel 5’s new crime drama

Downton Abbey Star Phyllis Logan has joined the cast The Puzzle LadyChannel 5’s new drama.

According to Hello! magazineThe star – who played Mrs Hughes in the ITV show and the two spin-off films – will front Channel 5’s upcoming six-part series based on Parnell Hall’s best-selling novels.

Logan, who also appeared in Doctor Who, Fault And Misconductwill take on the role of Cora Felton, who arrives in the “sleepy market town” of Bakerbury to help the police with a baffling murder case.

Related: Downton Abbey Star Elizabeth McGovern gets a big new TV role

“The local police are puzzled by a crossword puzzle left on the body,” the plot synopsis reads. “With their case going nowhere, they reluctantly turn to Cora Felton, a recent arrival in Bakerbury. [Her] The fame of the eponymous “Puzzle Lady” suggests that she can help DCI Hooper and the Bakerbury police solve his first murder case.

“But the eccentric Cora is not who she appears to be… As she plunges into a murder mystery that mystifies the town’s residents, she begins to gather allies and enemies alike,” it continues .

Production is underway in Northern Ireland, with the premiere scheduled to be unveiled in 2025. There are no further casting announcements, although Dominique Moloney and Tom Dalton have been confirmed as writer and director, respectively.

Related: Best film and television tours for 2024

Channel 5 and Paramount+’s Editor-in-Chief of Drama, Paul Testar, shared a statement following the announcement: “We are thrilled to be bringing this The Puzzle Lady to Channel 5, a gripping, cozy crime drama that will puzzle and entertain viewers in equal measure. Phyllis Logan will be outstanding as Cora Felton, our Puzzle Lady.”

“With Cora Felton, Dominique Moloney has written a character who stands out from the crowd and we are delighted that the wonderful Phyllis Logan will be supporting us The Puzzle Lady brought to life,” added Emily Dalton, managing director of Factual Fiction. “This will be my fifth project in Northern Ireland, working with some of the best crews in the UK – it feels a bit like coming home.”

Downton Abbey: A New Era is now available as digital download. A third film is in production. The Puzzle Lady will premiere on Channel 5 in 2025.

Read more Downton Abbey News on our special homepage

Gift ideas and offers for October 2024

Reporter, digital spy George is a freelance writer specializing in films and television. After graduating in film studies and journalism from De Montfort University, where he analyzed the early works of Richard Linklater for his dissertation, he wrote for several websites for GRV Media. His taste in films varies from blockbusters like Mission: Impossible And John Wick to international directors such as Paolo Sorrentino and Hirokazu Kore-eda and has attended both the London and Berlin film festivals.