Karyo returns as Julien Baptiste in Baptiste

From Harry and Jack Williams comes Baptiste, a thrilling new drama starring Tchéky Karyo as the insightful but stubborn The Missing investigator Julien Baptiste.

When Julien and his wife are on a visit to Amsterdam, the Chief of Police – who also happens to be an old girlfriend – seeks out his help due to his renowned and methodical crime-solving skills. Baptiste is rapidly embroiled in a case that looks beyond the beautiful streets, canals and houses of Amsterdam to the seamy underworld beneath.

Jessica Raine and Tom Hollander will star alongside Tchéky Karyo, playing the roles of Genevieve and Edward. They are joined by a stellar cast including Alec Secareanu (God’s Own Country), Clare Calbraith (Downton Abbey), Nicholas Woodeson (Taboo), Anastasia Hille (The Missing) and Talisa Garcia (Silent Witness). Local Belgian talent includes Barbara Sarafian, Boris Van Severen and Martha Canga.

Karyo said, ‘Julien Baptiste is very dear to me, so I’m really excited to be following his journey to the streets of Amsterdam and seeing what dark secrets he unveils this time. No doubt he’ll continue to take great risks all in the name of justice.’

Harry and Jack Williams added, ‘Julien Baptiste lives! It’s an absolute pleasure to be writing the character of Baptiste again, and working with the utterly brilliant Tchéky Karyo, who brings such depth and individuality to Julien.’

Piers Wenger, Controller of BBC Drama, commented, ‘Julien Baptiste – played by the exceptional Tchéky Karo – is one of the Williams brothers’ greatest creations and utterly deserving of his own show. This first series of Baptiste will allow us to discover more about Julien than ever before as he is parachuted into the centre of a shocking and wide-ranging crime story.’

Filming starts later this year in Amsterdam and Belgium.

Executive Producers are Harry and Jack Williams and Christopher Aird for Two Brothers Pictures and Tommy Bulfin for the BBC. The Producer is John Griffin.