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Deadline is reporting that Matthew Lewis will be starring in a new crime drama, Murder Before Evensong, for Acorn TV (USA) and Channel 5 (UK). According to Deadline, the show has been under development for a couple years and is based on the novel Murder Before Evensong by Reverend Richard Coles.

Matthew will be playing the main character, Daniel Clement. The description of the book can be read below. Light spoilers after the first couple paragraphs;

Canon Daniel Clement is Rector of Champton. He has been there for eight years, living at the Rectory alongside his widowed mother – opinionated, fearless, ever-so-slightly annoying Audrey – and his two dachshunds, Cosmo and Hilda.

When Daniel announces a plan to install a lavatory in church, the parish is suddenly (and unexpectedly) divided: as lines are drawn, long-buried secrets come dangerously close to destroying the apparent calm of the village.

And then Anthony Bowness – cousin to Bernard de Floures, patron of Champton – is found dead at the back of the church, stabbed in the neck with a pair of secateurs.

As the police moves in and the bodies start piling up, Daniel is the only one who can try and keep his fractured community together… and catch a killer.

Matt Lewis had this to say of the casting:

“I’m beyond thrilled to be throwing on the old dog collar and diving into the world of Champton so charmingly created by Rev. Richard Coles. I’ve been an admirer of his work for some time and love the characters and stories he’s written. It’s an honour to work with this creative team and have the opportunity to bring the character of Canon Clement to life for fans of the book and new viewers alike.”

The show is based on this first book in a series by the Reverend. Hopefully this leads to a few seasons of the show for fans to enjoy.

Managing Director of Acorn Media Enterprises, Catherine Mackin, had the following to say about Matthew:

“Matthew’s embodiment of Canon Daniel promises a bold and compelling adaptation that we can’t wait to see. We’re delighted to work alongside Richard, Nick, David and Matthew, as well as our partners at The Lighthouse and Channel 5, to bring this highly praised bestseller to the small screen.”

Paul Testar of Channel 5 added “Matthew Lewis is the perfect choice to lead this adaptation of the Reverend Richard Coles’ beloved novel, and with The Lighthouse team behind this series, it will offer a fresh take on the murder mystery genre while celebrating the charm and secrets of village life.”

The series will begin filming in 2025 in the West Midlands and is due to air later in the year on Acorn TV worldwide and Channel 5 in the UK.

Matthew Lewis was a special guest on the Season 2 finale of Fantastic Friends, a travel show hosted by James and Oliver Phelps. It is available to watch on HBO Max Europe and Crave. The show was set to air on the CW in the USA this Summer but due to low ratings was removed from the lineup on live television after two episodes. Season 1 is still available to watch on the CW website, but it is unknown how North Americans can watch season 2.

S2.E8 – Patagonia with Matthew Lewis

James, Oliver and Matthew Lewis (Neville Longbottom) explore magical Patagonia, Chile. They trek to Base Las Torres, learn sheep herding, horseback riding, spot wild puma. An epic adventure filled with natural beauty and camaraderie.

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Matthew has just confirmed on his Instagram account that he is back playing Hugh Hulton in series 2 of All Creatures Great and Small. The PBS website has also been updated on his characters whereabouts.

Season two will also see the return of Matthew Lewis (the Harry Potter film series, Ripper Street) as Hugh Hulton, who arrives back in Darrowby after some reflective time abroad, following the abrupt ending to his and Helen Alderson’s union.

We’re so excited to see where this season takes the residents of Darrowby Village. If you haven’t yet watched the first series it is available on PBS, Apple TV, Amazon and VUDU in the USA and Acorn or Amazon in the UK! Check out JustWatch to see where it’s airing in your country!

Series 2 of All Creatures Great and Small is now filming in Yorkshire!

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Matthew Lewis has been profiled by The New York Times to mark the airing of the reboot of “All Creatures Great And Small” which began airing on PBS in the US on January 10th. Previously the show aired on Channel 5 in the UK last year. We will share a few snippets below but head over to The New York Times for the full feature.

Of his role as Hugh in All Creatures Great and Small:

But Lewis is still coming to terms with being a leading man — God forbid, a sexy one. Which is why, when the opportunity came to audition for “All Creatures Great and Small,” Lewis hesitated.

“The original series is a bit of an institution in Yorkshire, and my dad really wanted me to do it,” he said. “But this guy is supposed to be very dark and handsome, and it has to be believable that Helen’s in love with him. I was like, ‘I don’t know about this. When I shave, everyone will see I look like I’m about 12.’”

Even after he got the part, he still didn’t think he was in the clear. “I was dreading turning up the first day on set,” he said. “I was sure they’d be like, ‘This is what he actually looks like? Jesus, we need to recast this guy.’”

When discussing how he chooses roles:

Lewis said he struggles with roles that are too similar to his own life. “I find it quite difficult when too much of me starts to come through in a character,” he said. “It’s easier when I can play someone completely different, like a police officer in London or someone who’s wealthy.”

David Yates, director of the final four Harry Potter films discussed how Matthew grew as an actor and his importance in those films:

Yates kept thinking of ways to expand Lewis’s role in scenes, ultimately building a sequence around him in “Deathly Hallows: Part 2” in which Neville blows up a bridge to Hogwarts to thwart the dark wizard Voldemort’s army — a scene that didn’t exist in either the book or in early drafts of Steve Kloves’s screenplay. “But it captured the charms of Neville and Matthew’s everyman quality,” Yates said. “He had a modesty and an honesty that was hard to ignore.”

Read the full interview at The New York Times.

Tune into All Creatures Great and Small on Sundays at 9pm on PBS.

The PBS website has been updated with air dates and descriptions of episodes for All Creatures Great and Small which features Matthew Lewis as Hugh Hulton. Matt appears in five of the seven episodes.

Episode 1 will air on Sunday January 10th at 9PM, with the rest of the episodes coming weekly at the same time with the last episode airing February 21st. Check your local listings to be sure.

It was also revealed last week that it has been renewed for a second season!Filming will take place in the Yorkshire Dales early next year.Unsure of Matt’s involvement in that second season but time will tell!