Donna Wiffen, Paul Marquess Form Drama Production Venture

Paul Marquess (Suspects, The Bill, Footballers’ Wives) and Donna Wiffen (The Bill, Crime Stories, M.I.T.) have teamed up to create Long Story TV, a production company that will develop English-language drama series.

Federation Entertainment is backing the new venture, handling international co-productions and sales. Long Story TV’s development slate will kick off with Death in Bruges, which will see British detectives investigate a string of seemingly unconnected murders in the historic Belgian town.

Marquess and Wiffen met at Thames Television, where they ran U.K. police series The Bill and daily drama Family Affairs as well as ITV’s Murder Investigation Team. The executives have also worked together at FremantleMedia, Endemol and BBC Worldwide. Both will continue to serve as managing director for their respective production companies, Wiffen at Duchess Street Productions and Marquess at PGMTV.