What is Bookish about? Everything we know so far about the upcoming detective series

A new detective is in town! U&Alibi finally unveiled the first trailer for Bookish, Mark Gatiss' upcoming British detective series.

Gatiss, who was also one of the writers for the BBC's Doctor Who, is no stranger to detective series, having previously co-created the BBC's Sherlock.

In the upcoming crime series, Mark Gatiss also stars as Gabriel Book, a bookshop owner who is also an unconventional detective, helping the police in solving the most gruesome crimes.

The official synopsis for Bookish reads as follows:

"London, 1946, is the dynamic, dangerous and chaotic setting for this stylish new detective drama, with the whip-smart and debonair Gabriel Book (Gatiss) at the very heart of the story: a maverick consultant detective to the local police.''

As evident from the synopsis, the series will be set in a post-war London, where Gabriel Book will gather his team of misfits and solve the most puzzling crimes in the city. The show is already renewed for Season 2, even before the Season 1 premiere.

More on this in our story.

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Bookish: Everything we know about the new British Detective series

Mark Gatiss is certainly no stranger to mindbending stories on the small screen. From Doctor Who to Sherlock, Gatiss has served as co-creator and writer on both shows and is finally ready to star in his own detective series.

The official synopsis for Bookish continues as follows:

"The thousands of books that line the shelves of his shop provide him with all the knowledge he needs to solve even the most puzzling of crimes. Book has gathered around him a host of lovable, damaged misfits whom he informally protects, cajoles, and mentors.''

''His wife Trottie (Walker) runs the wallpaper shop next door. She’s a charismatic adventuress whom Book loves deeply but not physically, for they are in a 'lavender' marriage to help conceal Book’s sexual orientation in a time when it was illegal to be gay."

In Bookish, Gatiss will star as Gabriel Book, an antiquarian bookshop owner who is also an unconventional detective.

The show will premiere in the UK on the UKTV channel U&alibi on July 16, 2025. While PBS has already bagged the streaming rights for the show in the US, the network is yet to announce a release date for the American audience.

Bookish will reportedly consist of a total of six episodes in Season 1, covering a single case across two episodes. The show will likely feature puzzling cases full of crimes that will challenge Book's detective skills to the best of his abilities.

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Meet the cast of Bookish

Bookish will be helmed by Mark Gatiss, who will star as the lead detective-cum-bookshop-owner Gabriel Book. Gatiss is best known for his work on Doctor Who and Sherlock, and also starred as Mycroft Holmes in the latter.

Recently, Gatiss reprised his character Angstrom in 2025's Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning. He is also set to appear in the upcoming superhero film The Fantastic Four: First Steps as Ted Gilbert.

Bridgerton's Lady Featherington, actress Polly Walker, will play the role of Trottie Book, Gabriel's wife. The two will be a part of a lavender marriage to conceal Gabriel's homosexuality in a conservative, post-war London society.

The additional cast for the show includes Elliot Levey as Inspector Bliss, Connor Finch as Jack (Gabriel's assistant), Buket Kömür as Nora, along with Daniel Mays, Blake Harrison, Joely Richardson and many more stars.

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