Tall Tales & Murder: Everything we know so far about the upcoming Irish drama starring Game of Thrones star Aidan Gillen

On June 5, 2025, the Raidió Teilifís Éireann (RTÉ) and BBC Northern Ireland officially announced that they are collaborating on Tall Tales & Murder. The Irish crime drama show will consist of two series (meaning seasons in the British TV industry) of six episodes. The series boasts an impressive cast, like Ella Lily Hyland, Packy Lee, Philippa Dunne, and most importantly, Aidan Gillen.

If you don't remember him, Gillen is known for playing the role of Littlefinger in HBO's Game of Thrones for seven seasons. As of now, we don't know anything about the show except that its story will be based on author Caimh McDonnell's Dublin "Trilogy", consisting of eight books. It should also be noted that there is no book titled "Tall Tales & Murder" in the Dublin "Trilogy".

Chris Addison, one of the creators of the series, will also be directing some episodes of the show. The June 2025 BBC announcement confirmed these things:

"BBC Northern Ireland and RTÉ, have commissioned two six-part series of new drama Tall Tales & Murder, in association with Screen Ireland. The show is written by Stuart Carolan - the writer and creator of RTÉ's smash-hit crime drama Love/Hate, one of the most critically acclaimed and successful Irish dramas ever produced - and is co-created with double EMMY and Directors Guild of America Award winner Chris Addison (Veep, Breeders, The Thick of It). Tall Tales & Murder is produced by Avalon (Breeders, Starstruck, Catastrophe), in association with Ireland-based Metropolitan Pictures (KIN). This darkly comedic crime drama will star Ella Lily Hyland (Black Doves, Towards Zero, Silent Roar), Aidan Gillen (Love/Hate, Game of Thrones, KIN), Philippa Dunne (Amandaland, Derry Girls, The Woman in the Wall) and Packy Lee (Peaky Blinders). Co-commissioned by RTÉ and BBC Northern Ireland, in association with Screen Ireland, filming began this week in the Republic of Ireland, with the first series set to premiere in 2026. Tall Tales & Murder will be distributed internationally by Avalon. The story is based on the much loved eight-book Dublin Trilogy by Caimh McDonnell."

Who is Game of Thrones' Aidan Gillen playing in Tall Tales & Murder?

Currently, we know nothing about the BBC show, including its characters. However, we know that the series will be darkly comedic in its tone. Cameras started rolling on the series in June 2025. The other series creator, Stuart Carolan, expressed excitement upon working with Chris Addison:

“I’ve been a fan of the brilliant Chris Addison since The Thick of It - it’s been incredible fun working with him to bring this insane story to life.”

However, it should also be noted that author Caimh McDonnell will not be involved in Tall Tales & Murder.

Caimh McDonnell reveals the source material that he won't be involved in the TV adaptation:

A day after the BBC announcement, Caimh McDonnell made some interesting revelations regarding the upcoming TV adaptation. Firstly, McDonnell did express excitement about one of his books being adapted. Then, the writer went on to reveal that he is not involved in the writing of the series and that the show is loosely inspired by A Man With One Of Those Faces:

"To be entirely honest with you, I’m not involved in the day-to-day writing side of things as I've already got a job and I’m far too busy writing books while being permanently on standby to give dog belly rubs. I’m not allowed to give much away about plot, but it’ll be loosely based on A Man With One Of Those Faces."

As for the release date, Chris Addison confirmed a 2026 release window for the Aidan Gillen series in a Collider interview published this week.

Catch Aidan Gillen's cunning turn as Littlefinger in HBO's Game of Thrones, as we wait for Tall Tales & Murder.

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