21/10/2024 - The Swiss comedy series is based on a radio play that’s over 30 years old, the protagonist of which is an old-school private detective who solves bizarre cases

Actors Marcus Signer (left) and Stefan Kurt on the set of Maloney (© SRF/Pascal Mora)

By the end of November, principal photography for Maloney, a new Swiss television series, will have wrapped in Zurich and the surrounding areas. Its production is a collaboration between Zurich-based C-Films and Swiss national TV channel SRF. So far, television remains the most important producer of series formats in Switzerland, while the industry awaits the effects of the 2024-implemented “Lex Netflix”. This 4% investment obligation for all active streamers in Switzerland is supposed to increase opportunities for Swiss-made content as well as related production volumes.

The humorous crime series is based on a radio play that is now more than 30 years old. The protagonist is an old-school private detective who solves bizarre cases. His style recalls that of detective Philip Marlowe, created by US author Raymond Chandler. It’s probably no coincidence that the name of the Swiss detective in the radio play resonates with his US colleague: Philip Maloney. Set to direct the series is a Swiss duo consisting of Michael Schaerer (The Little Witch [+see also:
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It is not yet clear how many episodes the series will be divided into, and the same goes for the exact storyline. The cases to be solved by the private detective and his police-officer antagonist are based on the writings of the original creator of the characters, Rolf Graf. He penned more than 400 cases for the audio play, and they served as the basis and inspiration for the series scripts. The latter have been developed by a team of six authors: head writer and director Luca Ribler was assisted by Christian Wehrlin (Tschugger), Pascal Glatz (Tschugger), Noëmi Steffen, Fanny Nussbaumer and Remy Blaser.

The TV adaptation will have a “film noir style”, say the producers. Staying true to the original audio play, the stories will be told from the perspective of private detective Maloney. The viewers will become his accomplices, as he will share his observations with them. The detective immerses himself in different worlds and encounters greedy businesswomen, corrupt politicians, unfaithful wives and husbands, and dangerous criminals. Always present is the policeman, Maloney's favourite enemy, rival and companion.

Starring in the role of Maloney is Marcus Signer, a veteran theatre actor who was praised for his performances in I Am the Keeper [+see also:
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SRF producer Baptiste Blanche is confident about the show: “The most difficult discipline in fiction is to create characters that everyone knows and loves. Maloney has accompanied young and old through Sunday mornings on SRF 3 radio for more than 30 years. Bringing the potential of the thuggish private detective from the radio to the screens has long appealed to us. I'm delighted that it's now working and that we can offer our crime-thriller fans Maloney on various channels.”

The TV release of Maloney is planned for 2025.