Anna Friel to star in British television series 'Marcella'

LONDON, Nov. 7 (UPI) -- Pushing Daisies alum Anna Friel is to star in the eight-part, television crime drama Marcella, ITV announced.

Co-starring Laura Carmichael, Harry Lloyd, Jamie Bamber, Nicholas Pinnock, Ian Puleston-Davies and Nina Sosanya, the project was penned by screenwriter and novelist Hans Rosenfeldt.

"Set in contemporary London with a British Metropolitan Police Detective at its heart, Marcella is noir thriller told with Rosenfeldt's unflinchingly multi-layered Nordic style," a synopsis said.

Filming on the hourlong drama is to begin in London this month.

"I'm thrilled to be working on Hans Rosenfeldt's first English drama. Scandinavian storytelling is hugely inspiring, but we Brits usually have to settle for doing a remake, so to be working with Hans on an original piece for ITV is a true privilege. Marcella is a complex woman and a wonderful, layered character," Friel said in a statement. "Hans' marvelous scripts have drawn a fantastic cast and crew together. I can't wait to begin."