Mark Gatiss Reveals What He Stole From ‘Doctor Who’ for His New British Detective Series [Exclusive]

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Simon Ridgway / ©BBC-America / Courtesy: Everett Collection

Published Feb 2, 2026, 6:16 PM EST

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When Mark Gatiss was building the world of Bookish, he knew his detective needed a hook — something that made him feel distinct in a genre packed with brilliant eccentrics. But Bookish isn’t just a literary gimmick wrapped in tweed. Gatiss also anchored the show in a specific historical moment that shaped who Book, his lead character, is at his core. In a recent conversation with Collider, Gatiss discussed the series, which recently premiered stateside on PBS. When discussing what keeps bringing him back to the mystery genre, Gatiss said:

“The other big two things were the setting, the post-war setting, which is a period that fascinates me, but is very underexamined. We sort of race to the 50s, particularly in Britain, but that five-year period, I think is so interesting. And it’s weird that the world has been absolutely smashed to bits.”

That tension between devastation and determination fuels the series’ emotional undercurrent. “There’s tons of optimism, but tons of sorts of paranoia and anxiety, loads of people coming back from the war, uncertain of their place in the new world, but there’s also a tremendous desire to make things better. It’s literally the post-war sentiment that we are just kissing goodbye.” Just as important to Gatiss was making sure Book didn’t feel like another cold, hyper-stylized genius in the mold of Sherlock Holmes — a character Gatiss famously helped bring to life. “Well, as you may know, having done Sherlock, I wanted him to be quite a nice person, and he’s occasionally slightly intolerant and bad tempered of people who aren’t as clever. I’m talking about the character (not me!), but largely he’s an optimistic person.”

Still, that optimism doesn’t mean endless patience — and some of Book’s sharpest moments come from Gatiss’ own life. But Gatiss didn’t just borrow from real life. He also admits to lifting a clever storytelling device from one of his most famous franchises. While discussing how Book navigates official investigations despite not being a police officer, Gatiss pointed to a familiar sci-fi shortcut. He uses “the letter from Churchill,” he explained elsewhere in the conversation, as the equivalent of Doctor Who’s psychic paper — a narrative tool that grants instant access and authority. It’s a cheeky, practical solution that keeps the story moving and avoids endless red tape scenes.

'Bookish' Is Currently Airing in the U.S.

Book’s outlook, Gatiss says, is shaped by what he’s survived. He told Collider:

“And one of my first ideas for it really was that he has seen some very, very bad things during the war. And rather than pulling him down, it’s actually made him more hopeful for the future of humankind, but there is a lot of darkness under the surface, but I largely wanted him to be a positive energy to be around.”

Bookish is currently airing on PBS in the United States, with the finale arriving in two parts on February 8 and 14. Stay tuned at Collider for more from our conversation with Gatiss