Writer Lynda LaPlante has announced she’s bringing back her biggest hit, Prime Suspect, as a prequel.
The seven-season crime series made Helen Mirren a household name and a Hollywood movie star on the strength of her portrayal of Jane Tennison, a gifted, no-nonsense detective in a London police department rife with sexism.
The author of eight novels, Plante will publish the new Prime Suspect installment first as a book, then adapt it for Britain’s ITV in 2016 on the 25th anniversary of the original show’s premiere. The prequel will focus on Tennison’s early years as a female cop in the late 1970s or early 1980s.
Laplante revealed what she has in mind for Tennison’s past: “It’s probably I would think a love affair with a high-ranking officer who was murdered, because going back in time I also have the IRA explosions, so there’s a lot of material for me to sort through and pin point where I want the damage to come in.”