‘Slow Horses’ Maker See-Saw Adapting ‘Lovejoy’ Novels For TV 30 Years After Popular BBC Series Starring Ian McShane

By Max Goldbart
March 4, 2026 4:00am


EXCLUSIVE: The production outfit behind Slow Horses has made Jackson Lamb a household name and now it is seeking to do the same for rogueish antiques dealer Lovejoy.

Following a bidding war, See-Saw Films has landed the rights to adapt the Lovejoy detective novels for TV, which were made into a popular BBC series in the late 1980s and early 1990s starring Ian McShane.

Lovejoy will be more than familiar to fans of British detective television. Adapted by Ian La Frenais, the BBC show ran for eight years, totaling 70 episodes, and made a star of McShane, who played the eponymous lead. No word yet on whether McShane is returning for the remake, which isn’t yet attached to a network or streamer. The show also starred Chris Jury, Dudley Sutton, Phyllis Logan and Celia Imrie. Blue Sky acquired rights in 2019 but that adaptation didn’t get made.

Set in East Anglia, Lovejoy is about a charismatic antiques dealer with an almost mystical knack for spotting genuine artefacts and scams. He frequently pivots from dealer to detective, outmanoeuvring rivals, criminals and occasionally the police. He has more than a thing or two in common with Slow Horses lead Lamb, played with aplomb by Gary Oldman across five seasons for Apple TV.

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