‘Rebus’ is set for a TV return – over a decade after its last series.
The detective drama – which starred Ken Stott in the role of DI John Rebus for three seasons after John Hannah quit the role after the first series – ended its run on ITV 12 years ago, but now author Ian Rankin has confirmed its long-awaited comeback.
The Scottish crime writer – whose ‘Inspector Rebus’ novels were adapted for the original show – has revealed new episodes are on the way with Gregory Burke penning the scripts.
Rankin said: "As far as I’m concerned it’s the perfect match, allowing the character of John Rebus to emerge in all his complex, three-dimensional glory."
Eleventh Hour Films are leading the way with the production after the author agreed a deal for the rights to his books after buying them back in 2012.
It’s said the new episode could have a "Nordic Noir-style", while Rankin – who as penned 22 books featuring Rebus including 2018’s ‘In a House of Lies’ – will have a much bigger say in how the series is run.
Regarding the previous TV adaptations of his characters, he has said: "I didn’t like the fact that it went down to 45 minutes. That’s not long enough for a book.
"I see these crime series that are six hours here and 10 hours there and think, ‘why can’t I get 10 hours for Rebus?’
"The first series of ‘The Killing’ was 20 hours. We could do that here."
Now broadcast date has been set yet, and there is no word on whether the show would return to ITV.
Indeed, actor Stott – who could reprise his role in the new series – has spoken in the past about the restrictions of television, potentially opening the door to distribution on a streaming platform.
He said: "We were always under pressure to get a story out and done within an hour and that’s a tall order. You fall foul of formulaic principles – it’s always formulas, formulas, all the same, with a happy ending – and we have to do something better than that."
Rebus set for TV return
