Sally Lindsay stars in Channel 5’s new show The Madame Blanc Mysteries, which she created, wrote and executively produced.
In the new comedy drama, which starts on Saturday 16 October, Lindsay plays Jean White an antiques dealer from Manchester investigating the death of her husband Rory and other crimes in the village of Sainte Victoire, in Southern France.
An exclusive trailer shared with Femail shows the cut-throat antique business awaiting Jean in Sainte Victoire, with rivals plotting against one-another, whille Jean tries to untangle the truth.
Sally Lindsay’s co-writer Sue Vincent takes on the role of Gloria, a local who quickly befriends Jean when she makes it to the French village.
Sally Lindsay stars in the show she’s created and has written for Channel 5, The Madame Blanc Mysteries, where she plays antiques dealer from Manchester Jean White who investigates crimes in Southern France. Airing from Saturday 16 October
Upon arriving in the town of Sainte Victoire, Jean is aided in her sleuthing by friendly cab driver Dom, played by Steve Edge, pictured
In the show, when Jean arrives to Sainte Victoire, she makes unsettling discoveries about her late husband’s life.
When a series of crimes spark around the village, her knowledge of antiques, which is described as ‘almost Sherlockian,’ soon begins to assist police with their investigations, including chief of the force Gendarme Caron.
She also befriends Dom, a dashing local taxi driver played by Steve Edge (Starlings, Phoenix Nights), who helps her in her sleuthing, as she meets the local and untangles their stories.
Sue Holderness (Only Fools and Horses) is terrible flirt and local gossip purveyor Judith, and Robin Askwith (Confessions) is Jeremy, Judith’s adoring husband. The couple live in the Chateau at the edge of Sainte Victoire and see themselves as the Lord and Lady of the village.
In the show, we meet Jean, who is happily married to her antiques dealer husband Rory. But Rory is sadly killed, and all of Jean’s money disappeared
The antiques dealer is welcomed by Judith and Jeremy Lloyd-James, played by Sue Holderness and Robin Askwith who own a castle in the town and don’t speak a word of French, pictured
‘Jean’s not a flamboyant, Sherlock-type character, but she’s a down to earth woman who is just as clever! She is exceedingly confident in her knowledge of antiques and she sees things other people don’t see,’ Sally, who imagined the character on the set of Still Open All Hours, said.
And Lindsay added her character was nothing like her.
‘I’m the least observant person alive. I once took a pair of shoes to be reheeled, went to the Timpsons I thought I walked past every day and discovered it had been a Pret for six years,’ she said.
The show’s filming on the Maltese island of Gozo was delayed by a year due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Dom, pictured, assist Jean in her investigation, and is in the know when it comes to village gossip
Jean’s ‘Sherlockian’ knowledge of antiques makes her a secret weapon for the French police, who come to her to help their investigations
Sue Vincent, who co-wrote the show with Sally Lindsay, also plays fast friend of Jean Gloria, pictured
Lindsay, who has developed shows’ idea throughout her career, including Scott and Bailey, which starred Suranne Jones, was inspired by a Coronation Street storyline she played out early on in her career.
‘I did a bigamy storyline on Coronation Street and was fascinated by it, the idea that all of a sudden everything you thought was real just isn’t. I’ve always been fascinated that concept, but had never really explored it since then,’ she said.
She also took her cues from beloved British antiques shows like the series Lovejoy.
Sally’s co-writer Sue Vincent said working on the show with Sally was a blessing.
‘Making this show was like winning a competition, albeit one I’ve been entering for 22 years! It was the biggest blessing in these extraordinary times, I felt really lucky,’ she said.
Alex Gaumond plays gendarme Caron, the chief of police in Sainte Victoire, who comes to Jean for her expertise
Sally said she began imagining the show on the set of Still Open All Hours, and was inspired by a Corrie storyline she acted out at the start of her career