Monsieur Spade: Clive Owen takes up the mantle of fictional icon Sam Spade, but when is the series on UK TV?

One of literature’s most hard-boiled detectives, the incomparable Sam Spade created by pulp author Dashiell Hammett, is set for a brand new television series with Clive Owen set to play the titular role in “Monsieur Spade.” The series, set to premiere this month, is in two skilful hands, with two-time Academy Award-nominated screenwriter Scott Frank (“Out of Sight,” “Logan,” “The Queens Gambit”) having teamed up with “Oz” creator Tom Fontana to bring the gritty neo-noir to our screens. 

Those shoes that Clive Owen is occupying are quite big though; Sam Spade has been a regular fixture on screen with perhaps the most famous actor to play him being Humphrey Bogart in 1941’s “The Maltese Falcon,” directed by cinematic legend John Huston and becoming one of “Bogie’s” greatest roles. However, Huston’s film wasn’t the first time Hammett’s novel was adapted for the screen, as a decade earlier Ricardo Cortez portrayed Sam Spade in a pre-code adaptation.

The character of Sam Spade has become synonymous with the archetypal tough and cynical private investigator. His sharp wit, moral ambiguity, and a code of ethics that may seem unconventional have permeated popular culture and become the basis for many nard-nosed criminal investigators in later years - the character Rorshach from the “Watchmen” graphic novel series immediately springs to mind.

But why is the character going by the name “Monsieur Spade” and who is also starring alongside Clive Owen? NationalWorld takes a look ahead of its streaming premiere in January.

What is “Monsieur Spade” about?

The series synopsis from AMC reads: “The year is 1963, and the legendary Detective Sam Spade is enjoying his retirement in the South of France. By contrast to his days as a private eye in San Francisco, Spade's life in Bozouls is peaceful and quiet. But the rumoured return of his old adversary will change everything.” 

“Six beloved nuns have been brutally murdered at the local convent. As the town grieves, secrets emerge, and new leads are established. Spade learns that the murders are somehow connected to a mysterious child who is believed to possess great powers."

Who stars alongside Clive Owen in “Monsieur Spade”?

The French-American production, according to IMDB, will feature the following performers in lead roles. 

• Clive Owen as Sam Spade
• Cara Bossom as Teresa
• Denis Ménochet as Chief of Police Patrice Michaud
• Louise Bourgoin as Marguerite Devereaux
• Chiara Mastroianni as Gabrielle
• Stanley Weber as Jean-Pierre Devereaux
• Matthew Beard as George Fitzsimmons
• Jonathan Zaccaï as Philippe Saint Andre
• Rebecca Root as Cynthia Fitzsimmons

When is “Monsieur Spade” released in the UK?

Streaming service Acorn TV (who are owned by AMC) will be screening “Monseuir Spade” in the United Kingdom from January 14 2024. A subscription to Acorn TV is required.