In The Pipeline: Edgar & Augustine

In The Pipeline is a new feature strand exploring projects not yet in production that are looking for partners. If you would like to feature, email Richard.Middleton@broadcastnow.co.uk

Lupin and Narcos producer Gaumont is behind this upcoming 19th-century drama that is to be set in a colourful and wondrous Paris, with the show also marking the first-ever appearance of Freddie Highmore (The Good Doctor) in a French series.

The series, which is in pre-production, has been slated to start filming in June 2027. It revolves around the titular characters of Highmore’s Edgar and Cat’s Eyes star Camille Lou’s Augustine, a fiercely independent and fearless widow newly returned from the colonies, whose sister Eleonore has vanished.

Having been brushed off by a police force that is unwilling to act, Augustine partners up with Eleonore’s fiancé Edgar, a quick-witted typography assistant with a fractured past and an uncanny eye for detail, and the duo launch their own investigation into the disappearance.

The search for the truth plunges the pair into a city of secrets and shadowy crimes, and as murders and kidnappings mount, Augustine’s razor-sharp logic and Edgar’s imaginative instincts form an unlikely partnership that leads them to a chilling truth: a predator is abducting women in a desperate attempt to resurrect his lost love.

It’s a fun period crime drama, full of action, gripping danger and plenty of twists and turns

Karine Atlan, Studio TF1

Commercial broadcaster TF1 is already on board the series, which is set to be mostly French-language, and other partners are being sought. Studio TF1 is attached as distributor, although sales have not yet officially started. Budgets have been kept under wraps for now, but expect them to be similar to other high-end Gaumont shows, with production values to match.

“We’re aiming for a premium, highly ambitious series, in the vein of streamer hits Lupin, Pax Massilia and Becoming Karl Lagerfeld,” says Karine Atlan, executive vice-president of acquisitions and international co-productions at Studio TF1. “They show exactly where our ambition for Edgar & Augustine lies.”

The addition of David Hourrègue (Rivages; Germinal; Skam France) as director underlines that ambition, with bold, original art direction planned and a charming pop universe for the endearing crime-fighting duo to inhabit.

Highmore and Lou’s characters are being written as a captivating partnership that, while strictly platonic, also offers humour and panache to the series. Added to the intrigue on a romantic level is a burgeoning relationship between Augustine and the local police chief.

The background is set to be a reimagined Paris – flamboyant, whirling and electric, the show’s producers say – but Edgar & Augustine is being viewed as a mainstream series with appeal across all generations, exploring universal themes around love and family. Expect adventure, mystery and action, with touches of comedy and romance.

Atlan describes the series as “a captivating and fun period crime drama, full of action, gripping danger and plenty of twists and turns. It has high production value, with stunning Parisian settings and lavish costume and set design”.

Both streamers and broadcasters are being viewed as potential partners, and the show’s international cast means it should travel beyond French borders, the exec adds.