Fans of ‘Jonathan Creek’ have a rather wonderful treat arriving this November. Ten years after the BBC comedy-drama’s last television outing, creator David Renwick has written a brand-new mystery for Britain’s favourite solver of impossible crimes. Better still, it reunites Jonathan with his original sparring partner, Maddy Magellan!
There is one catch, however. This isn’t a new TV episode (sadly). Instead, The Fantom of the Acropolis is a theatrical scriptbook, written by Renwick for a potential stage production and now getting a paperback release from our friends over at Idiot Box Books. We covered its Kickstarter launch last year, and following a successful crowdfunding campaign, the story is finally heading to bookshops.
Jonathan And Maddy Reunited For Another Impossible Crime
The story picks up a decade after the events of 2016’s Daemons’ Roost. Jonathan, played on television by Alan Davies, is back doing what he does best: devising elaborate illusions for stage magician Adam Klaus, played on screen by Stuart Milligan. They’re joined by Czech illusionist Jana Kablitsky at London’s Acropolis theatre.
Naturally, things aren’t going to run smoothly. Jana is being stalked by a disgruntled former lover, a sinister figure known as the Hell Hag is haunting the theatre, and there’s a killer to catch. The central puzzle is vintage Creek: how can an assassin escape through an open window without being seen by a guard on the other side, or leaving a single footprint in freshly laid snow?
And that’s where Maddy comes in. The investigative journalist, originally played by Caroline Quentin, is back from America and teaming up with Jonathan once again. For many fans, the Jonathan-and-Maddy dynamic was one of the absolute highlights of the early years of ‘Jonathan Creek’, so getting those two characters back together is arguably as exciting as the mystery itself.
From Kickstarter To Bookshelves
The book was backed by 442 supporters, raising more than £23,500 against an original Kickstarter target of £15,000. It’s a particularly nice result for a project that gives fans a new story from the show’s original creator, rather than a reinvention by somebody else.
Renwick, also responsible for ‘One Foot in the Grave’ and ‘Love Soup’, is now retired from television writing, making a new screen outing for Jonathan unlikely. However, the script was conceived for the stage, and Renwick has said that staging the live illusions would be both costly and complicated. A West End production remains a possibility he’d like to explore, rather than something currently announced.
As Renwick puts it:
“I hope you enjoy this final chapter (at least for now…) of Jonathan Creek.”
That little ‘at least for now’ is doing some very welcome heavy lifting…
The 219-page paperback has a recommended retail price of £22 and will be available from booksellers including Waterstones, WHSmith and Amazon. An exclusive eBook edition will also be available through the publisher’s website.
The Fantom of the Acropolis is published Thursday, 5th November 2026 by Idiot Box Books.
Login to Geektown