ZDF Enterprises Greenlights Development on New Drama

ZDF Enterprises is working with December Films and Factual Fiction to develop a new mystery drama, The Puzzle Lady, based on Parnell Hall’s best-selling series of books.

The production partners have acquired the TV rights to all 20 books in the Puzzle Lady series, which feature the eccentric Cora Felton, a crossword puzzle columnist who can’t resist poking into unsettling events and solving crimes. The series’ development deal is for six episodes.

Todd Berger, Julie Di Cresce Patrick Irwin and Emily Dalton and screenwriter Dominique Moloney are at the helm. Moloney has worked on the award-winning Land Girls, Father Brown and Shakespeare & Hathaway and created WPC 56.

Robert Franke, VP ZDFE.drama at ZDF Enterprises, said: “Parnell Hall has created, in The Puzzle Lady, a delightful character that has been described as ‘Miss Marple on steroids’, a strong hint that this will not be your typical mystery series. Developing these stories for television is an exciting project for all three partners and we are extremely proud to have such a skilled and talented writer as Dominique Moloney join the team.”