‘Saint-Pierre‘ is finally heading to UK screens this April, with UKTV confirming the acclaimed Canadian crime drama will premiere on U&Alibi. The series arrives after already making a strong impression in Canada, where it became CBC’s most-watched new drama of the year and quickly secured a second season renewal.
UKTV first picked up the series back in January, but at the time had not confirmed either a channel or a launch date. Now we know ‘Saint-Pierre’ will air on U&Alibi, which feels like a very natural fit for a glossy crime procedural with a strong central duo, a striking setting, and plenty of dark secrets bubbling away under an otherwise picturesque surface.
Set in Saint-Pierre et Miquelon, the small French territory just off the coast of Newfoundland, the drama follows Royal Newfoundland Constabulary Inspector Donny Fitzpatrick, known as Fitz, who is banished to the islands after digging a little too deeply into a local politician’s shady dealings. What looks at first like a sleepy, isolated outpost soon proves to be anything but, with serious criminal activity washing up on its shores.
Once there, Fitz is thrown together with Deputy Chief Genevieve Archambault, a Parisian transplant with her own reasons for being in Saint-Pierre. The pair have very different methods, personalities, and policing instincts, so naturally they start off clashing. However, as the cases mount up, they begin to realise they work far better together than apart. That odd-couple dynamic looks to be one of the key hooks of the series, alongside the unusual setting, which helps ‘Saint-Pierre’ stand out from the crowded crime drama field.
The cast is led by Josephine Jobert (Death in Paradise), Allan Hawco (Republic of Doyle, Jack Ryan), and James Purefoy (Rome, Sex Education). The wider cast also includes Benz Antoine (Four Brothers), Erika Prevost (The Boys), and Jean-Michel Le Gal (Accused). Behind the scenes, the drama was created by Allan Hawco, Robina Lord-Stafford, and Perry Chafe, with Hawco Productions producing for CBC. International distribution is handled by Fifth Season.
The series has already been sold widely around the world, with UKTV joining a growing list of broadcasters picking it up, including France Télévisions in France and ABC in Australia, along with other buyers across Europe, Australasia, and the Middle East. That sort of international reach is a pretty good sign that this is one the distributors think can travel well, and the combination of crime procedural storytelling with a distinctive location certainly gives it an edge.
The opening episode, titled “Queen Bee”, sees newcomer Fitz joining forces with local detective Arch to investigate the murder of the leader of a back-to-nature group. It sounds like exactly the sort of murder-of-the-week setup that should help establish both the island and the central partnership straight away.
‘Saint-Pierre‘ Season 1 premieres Wednesday 22nd April, 9pm on U&alibi, with a repeat on Thursday 23rd April, 8pm.
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