Pegg and Frost to produce fantasy murder mystery Rivers of London

Last Updated on July 30, 2021

The first entry in author Ben Aaronovitch's Rivers of London series of novels was just published in 2011, but since then Aaronovitch has already expanded the series with seven more novels, plus some graphic novels and novellas. The series is now set to branch out into television, thanks to Simon Pegg and Nick Frost's production company Stolen Picture.

At the center of the Rivers of London series is 

Peter Grant, no relation to the infamous Led Zeppelin manager, an ordinary police constable turned magician’s apprentice as he solves crimes across the British capital with a blend of urban fantasy, mystery thriller and fantasy caper. 

The first novel, which was titled Rivers of London but re-titled Midnight Riot in the United States (you can pick up a copy of it HERE), will serve as the basis of the first season of the television series, which is expected to consist of eight or ten episodes. That one follows 

Grant as he attempts to solve a puzzling murder with information from an eyewitness who happens to be a ghost. He then works with Detective Chief Inspector Thomas Nightingale, who investigates crimes involving magic and other manifestations of the uncanny. After, as a wave of brutal and bizarre murders engulfs the city, Grant is plunged into a world where gods and goddesses mingle with mortals and a long-dead evil is making a comeback on a rising tide of magic.

Aaronovitch says that his series was 

a difficult thing to sell so that it wouldn’t get horribly butchered, and television up to now has had a lot of difficulties. [But] how could I say no [to Pegg and Frost]? I feel confident on several levels. I’m working with creators and I know these people don’t like bollocks. There will be creative conflicts and where external forces force us to make compromises but I know that the starting point is that we won’t make those compromises unless we have to. [Simon and Nick] are tremendous nerds and I don’t have to explain things to do them about magic, they just get it. we have a common language, which we don’t have in a lot of TV companies."

Pegg felt that it was important to work closely with Aaronovitch on bringing his stories to the screen. He says,

Often as a writer, you are the absolute bottom of the food chain and treated like scum. As a writer, I understand what it’s like for someone to use you as a springboard rather than use your vision and it’s good to have writers involved as producers because they get it and we want to make a faithful adaptation that is a true reflection of the book."

Aaronovitch will be executive producing the series with Pegg, Frost, and Stolen Pictures' Miles Ketley. 

Stolen Pictures has the backing of Sony as they work on developing Rivers of London, but they haven't yet assembled a writing team around Aaronovitch or started pitching the project to broadcasters or SVOD platforms.

We'll keep you updated on any progress Rivers of London makes as it moves forward. Reading these quotes, it definitely sounds like Aaronovitch's series is in the best possible hands with Pegg and Frost.