Production has begun in China on a Mandarin-language version of Australian TV series “Miss Fisher Murder Mysteries.” It is the first Australian television series to have been re-versioned in China.
The original series, based on Kerry Greenwood’s Phryne Fisher mystery novels, was created by Every Cloud Productions. The Shanghai 99 Visual Company acquired the Chinese format rights. 99 Visual has partnered with Tencent Penguin Film and talent management firm Easy Entertainment to produce the show. It will be delivered as 30 episodes of 42 minutes each and play out on Tencent‘s platforms in the spring of 2020.
The series is set in 1930s Shanghai. At the time, Shanghai was one of the world’s most vibrant and fashionable cities, where foreigners and Chinese alike enjoyed its many hedonistic pleasures.
Chinese actress Ma Yili (“The Road Not Taken”) stars as the eponymous detective. Jin Weiyi is the lead writer and one of the producers. Fiona Eagger and Deb Cox, Every Cloud Productions founders, are set as creative consultants.
Eagger and Cox are also the creators of the upcoming feature film “Miss Fisher and the Crypt of Tears” and spinoff TV series “Ms. Fisher’s Modern Murder Mysteries.” “Crypt of Tears” will be released in Australia by Roadshow Films and in the U.S. by Acorn.
“Ms. Fisher’s Modern Murder Mysteries,” a series of four telemovies, has just screened on the Seven Network in Australia. All3 Media International, the overseas distributor of the series and the film, said that the show will be broadcast on Acorn in the U.S. and on UKTV in the U.K. later this month.
The first “Miss Fisher” series premiered on Australia’s ABC TV in February 2012. Since then, the series has sold to 247 territories in 179 countries. Broadcasters include Netflix (multi-territories), Acorn (U.S.), PBS (U.S.), Channel 5 (U.K.), UKTV’s Alibi Channel (U.K.), France3 (France), Knowledge Network (Canada), Kanal 5 (Sweden), Sony Germany and Red Bull Media House (Germany) and Rai (Italy).