Meyrick's DCI Daley to be adapted for TV

Denzil Meyrick's DCI Daley series will be adapted for television, and will star "Game of Thrones" actor Rory McCann (right) in the lead role. 

Rights to the books have been secured to adapt and produce the series by Ocean Independent, the production arm of talent agency Emptage Hallett, together with Fudge Park, award-winning producer of "The Inbetweeners". The series will be written and directed by leading Scottish playwright and screenwriter Anthony Neilson.   

McCann is repped by Emptage Hallett; Meyrick by Jo Bell at Bell Lomax Moreton; Neilson by Julia Tyrell Management; and the DCI Daley novels are published in the UK by Polygon. The drama will be split into eight 60-minute episodes. 

Meyrick said: "To have the opportunity to be part of this innovative, experienced and talented team is a dream come true. It will be fabulous, and not a little nail-biting, to see my characters brought to life on the small screen by such creative and highly regarded professionals. To say that this is exciting doesn’t do it justice. For a writer, it’s been a privilege to showcase the beautiful Kintyre peninsula. Seeing people so invested in this setting, the quirky, authentic and much-loved cast of characters, must be the goal of anyone putting pen to paper. I’m sure that the television production will take this to the next level." 

Neilson added: "I am privileged to be adapting Denzil Meyrick's rich and atmospheric DCI Daley books for the screen. These stories are much more than typical whodunits and the whole team is committed to delivering a complex, compelling and accessible series that will stand comparison with the best adult dramas from Europe and the US."