While there may not be any more episodes of “Sherlock,” the Emmy-winning star of that franchise, Benedict Cumberbatch, is set to make his return to TV in a big way. Showtime announced Tuesday (Feb. 28) that it is partnering with the actor for “Melrose,” a limited series based on the bestselling series of books by Edward St. Aubyn.
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The lavish production will trace the devolution of the title character, Patrick Melrose, from the hedonism of the French Riviera of the 1960s to the decadence of 1980s New York City to the Rule Britannia era of London in the first decade of this century.
St. Aubyn’s quintet of novels — “Never Mind” (1992); “Bad News” (1994); “Some Hope” (1996) “Mother’s Milk” (2005) and “At Last” (2012) — was re-released as “The Patrick Melrose Novels” in 2012. The author adapted “Mother’s Milk,” which contended for the Booker prize, for a 2012 film version directed by Gerald Fox. “Smash” star Jack Davenport played the part.
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Tackling the adaptation this time around is BAFTA-nominated David Nicholls. He crafted the 2015 film adaptation of the Thomas Hardy classic “Far From the Madding Crowd” that starred Carey Mulligan as well as the 2008 television version of “Tess of the D’ubervilles” that launched Eddie Redmayne‘s career.
