Sewell to play Italian detective Aurelio Zen on TV.

That's really great news. I loved the Wallander movies and I'm hoping that the late Michael Dibdin's books will be just as entertaining. I think that Rufus is a great choice to play Aurelio Zen.

This is great news. And I didn't know he would be in "The Pillars of the Earth." Now I'll have to read that book.

I've never read Dibdin's books--apparently they are worth it?

I'm assuming this will be a BBC series -- will we get it on BBC America or on PBS Mystery over here, I wonder

BBC America rarely shows anything good anymore. I would place my bet on PBS Mystery.

It has always astonished me that the wonderful Dibdin books featuring charismatic Zen have never been filmed or televised. I do hope the Beeb does them justice. Rufus Sewell is good casting for the role, so it bodes well. If you haven't read them, the books are not "just detective stories". (Ratking is not a detective/ Zen novel)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-12093312 rufus talking to the bbc

The more I watch him in Zen the more I think he looks Italian in a way. That's not meant to be an inane comment although I admit it does sound like one.

Well the series was great, but I havent read the books and it doesn't sound like there's a huge resemblance between the two.