If murder mysteries weren’t already strange enough, U&DRAMA has now picked up one that throws Salvador Dalí, René Magritte, and a house full of rising surrealist artists into a locked-room whodunit. ‘This Is Not a Murder Mystery’ lands in the UK this April, bringing a flamboyant 1930s setting, a serial killer stalking an English estate, and a premise which feels like Agatha Christie after a very odd trip to an art gallery.
Set in England in 1936, the series follows young René Magritte, whose life takes a sharp and deeply inconvenient turn when he’s invited to a private exhibition at the lavish West Dean estate. Surrounded by fellow artists on the edge of fame, including Dalí, Lee Miller, Man Ray and Max Ernst, things quickly spiral into chaos after Magritte wakes beside the body of a murdered young woman with no memory of the night before. As more bodies begin to fall and Scotland Yard locks down the estate, he has to clear his name while working out who among the guests is hiding something far darker.
That setup alone is enough to make this stand out, but the real hook is how gleefully the show leans into its surrealist world. The press materials describe it as a visually striking six-part whodunit, with famous artworks, rich 1930s styling, and murder weapons inspired by the artists’ own creations. So yes, this one appears to know exactly how bonkers its central idea is, and leans straight into it.
The cast includes Pierre Gervais (High Tides, Into the Night) as René Magritte, Mathilde Warnier (The Widow, A Very Secret Service) as Georgette Magritte, Iñaki Mur (We Were the Lucky Ones, Merlí) as Salvador Dalí, Regina Bikkinina (Into the Night) as Gala Dalí, Florence Hall (The Princess Switch 3, Bank of Dave) as Lee Miller, Frank Bourke (His Dark Materials, The Winter King) as Man Ray, Mike Hoffmann (The Privilege) as Max Ernst, Stephen Tompkinson (DCI Banks, Ballykissangel) as DCI Thistlethwaite, Donna Banya (War of the Worlds, Breathtaking) as DC Quant, Aoibhinn McGinnity (Quarry, Vikings: Valhalla) as Lord James, Jonathan Delaney Tynan (Ripper Street, The Tudors) as Archie Jukes, Lauren Versnick (Red Light) as Sheila Legge, Oscar Högström (FOMO) as Nash, and Geert Van Rampelberg (The Broken Circle Breakdown) as ELT Mesens.
Behind the camera, the series is directed by Hans Herbots, whose previous work includes The Serpent, Riviera and Paris Has Fallen, with writing from Christophe Dirickx and Paul Baeten. That mix of stylish thriller instincts and a knowingly heightened concept could make this one a very fun addition to U&DRAMA’s lineup.
Episode 1, titled “The Lovers,” opens with the artists gathering at West Dean for the private exhibition before a shocking murder brings in Scotland Yard and seals the estate shut. Which sounds like exactly the right amount of classy, chaotic nonsense.
‘This Is Not a Murder Mystery’ Season 1 premieres Wednesday, 29th April 2026 at 8pm on U&DRAMA, with all episodes available as a box set on U from launch.
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