Cannes Confidential

Set against the backdrop of Cannes, France, Acorn TV’s Cannes Confidential weaves together a classic storyof-the-week procedural and an intriguing underlying arc. The six-episode series, from Midsomer Murders creator Chris Murray, centers on the relationship between idealistic, local underdog cop Camille Delmasse, played by Lucie Lucas (Clem), and ex-conman Harry King, played by Jamie Bamber (Marcella, Battlestar Galactica), who form an unlikely crimefighting partnership.

The series debuts on Acorn TV in North America, New Zealand, Australia and the U.K. on June 26.

Lucas, Bamber and fellow star Tamara Marthe all note that they were drawn to the series because of the writing. “Our characters are really rich and subtle,” Lucas says. “I think the viewers [will] feel a real attachment to them.”

What drew Bamber in was “the dialogue, the relationship between Lucie’s character and my character, and it reminded me of shows I grew up watching, like Moonlighting.”

Each episode features a different murder investigation, while moving forward the underlying story. “Fundamentally, it’s a drama about family,” Bamber says. “It’s about Camille, who is from a family of police officers. Her dad was the head chief of police in Cannes and now finds himself incarcerated for a corruption scandal.”

“The crux of the show is there is this tacit deal between [Camille and Harry],” Bamber continues. “He’s got a shady past. He says, I know how to get your dad out of prison; I know what’s going on there. Because he’s got hands in many different areas. They have this sort of bargain, which is combative bargaining at the beginning, but gradually they grow to trust each other.”

The procedural element combined with the season-long story arc allows the series to work for multiple platforms. With linear TV, “it’s very advantageous to [broadcasters] to have a closed story each week that every viewer can get into, can jump aboard,” Bamber says. “We’re also on Acorn TV. We’re on a platform, where, actually, it’s probably more advantageous to give the audience something that they can continue with in their own time. We’re doing two things at once.”