Downton Abbey’s Phyllis Logan stars as the Puzzle Lady 

Factual Fiction has secured its first drama with a Channel 5 adaptation of the best-selling book series The Puzzle Lady.  

Starring Downton Abbey’s Phyllis Logan in the titular role as the eponymous Puzzle Lady, the drama begins after a strange murder takes place with a crossword left on the body.  

Phyllis Logan (Viktoria Kuti)

Phyllis Logan

With local police baffled, they reluctantly turn to Cora Felton (Logan) who has recently arrived at the fictional town of Bakerbury. She is known for her puzzle solving skills and may be able to help solve the case.  

Six part series The Puzzle Lady (w/t) is produced by Factual Fiction and December Films with additional funding from Northern Ireland Screen.  

PSB Distribution is on board as the US distributor and the series is co-produced with Channel Zero and ZDF Studios, who are distributing in the rest of the world.  

Factual Fiction has previously been behind commissions The Queen Unseen on ITV1 and Prime Video’s The Greatest Show Never Made, with this order marking its first drama series.  

It was ordered for Channel 5 by drama commissioning editor for C5 and Paramount+ Paul Testar, who will executive produce the series alongside deputy chief content officer Sebastian Cardwell.  

The executive producers for Factual Fiction are Patrick Irwin, Dominique Moloney, Tom Dalton and Emily Dalton. For December Films, Todd Berger and Julie Di Cresce exec produce while Jennifer Chen execs for Channel Zero Studios and Daniel Mekinda for GroupM Motion Entertainment and Yi Qiao, and Robert Franke fir ZDF Studios.  

Tom Dalton also serves as director for the series with Dominique Moloney on board as a writer. The original book series was penned by American author Parnell Hall.  

Paul Testar called the drama a “compelling, cosy crime drama that will keep viewers guessing and entertained equally.”  

Meanwhile, Factual Ficton’s managing director Emily Dalton said that the project will be her fifth in Northern Ireland – “working with some of the best crew in the UK.”