We will turn back the clock to show a smoky atmospheric world that’s lost in time with the twists and turns of stories set amid the murkily mysterious atmosphere of the railways in postwar Britain.

This is a time that’s tantalisingly near, but out of reach for us now that both technology, society, fashion and much of the landscape have changed forever.

Yet what happened back then shaped our futures as Stephen Done subtly moves the stories forward year by year, observing changing attitudes and behaviour as we travel by steam train through the decades (12 novels so far and counting).

With a Dickensian-like spread of characters, we will bring to the screen the bustling life along the old Great Central Railway, among the gritty towns and lush countryside of the east Midlands.

Philip Ettinger said: “We are delighted to work with Stephen Done to bring to prime-time television his atmospheric detective novels set in this overlooked, but fascinating era of the immediate postwar years.

“The glorious but largely unknown East Midlands countryside of Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire and Northamptonshire at last will get recognition as a splendid backdrop to this exciting series.

“With great good luck we have a perfect ready-made set in the form of the Great Central steam heritage railway, which we will be highly fortunate to be working with on this thrilling project.”

Ettinger Brothers Productions has already made an Inspector Vignoles pilot film called Ticket to Ride, scripted by David Griffiths, which showcases the huge potential of this drama series, shot on location at the Great Central Railway.

David Griffiths, screenwriter – biography

David Griffiths is an author, screenwriter and playwright from Liverpool, whose work has been performed from London to Edinburgh.
For Ettinger Brothers Productions he wrote, produced and directed the Inspector Vignoles pilot detective murder mystery film Ticket to Ride, set in full early 1950s period style and shot in authentic locations on the Great Central heritage steam railway. He has also written a two-hour screenplay based on the first Inspector Vignoles novel Smoke Gets In Your Eyes.