Vienna stakes its claim as capital of crime
IMAGINE a period crime drama set during the Victorian era, featuring a dedicated detective who joins forces with a brilliant but unorthodox medic to solve crimes in a major city.
Now, which show is being described there?
No doubt a few of you are imagining the much-missed Ripper Street. However, the description also fits new three-part series Vienna Blood, which has been adapted from Frank Tallis’ best-selling Liebermann novels.
Rising star Matthew Beard – whose previous projects include The Imitation Game and The Riot Club – takes the lead role of Max Liebermann, a gifted young English doctor living in the Austrian city while studying under famed psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud.
His path soon crosses with that of Oskar Rheinhardt (Juergen Maurer), a local detective inspector whose latest case is problematic. Intrigued by the facts, Liebermann offers his assistance, using the knowledge he’s gleaned while learning from Freud, coupled with his own skills in the fields of perception and forensics.
Rheinhardt is impressed by Liebermann’s contribution, and it becomes clear that their fruitful partnership won’t be just a one-off.
Steve Thompson, whose credits include episodes of Doctor Who and Sherlock and was the creator of period drama Jericho, is the brains behind Vienna Blood.
His next project is an eightpart drama about the life of Leonardo da Vinci, starring Aidan Turner.
No doubt the presence of the Poldark star in the cast will gain it plenty of publicity, but for now, he’s hoping Vienna Blood receives plaudits – and isn’t unceremoniously dumped in the same way that Ripper Street was.
Conleth Hill, Amelia Bullmore and Charlene McKenna (who, incidentally, was in Ripper Street as Rose) are among the supporting cast.