Fox Developing Series Based on TJ Middleton’s ‘Cliffhanger’ Novels
CSI duo Melissa Byer and Treena Hancock are working on an adaptation of TJ Middleton’s black comedy book series Cliffhanger for Fox.
Described as a darkly comedic one-hour drama, the show follows the plot of the first novel in the Cliffhanger series, which involves an accidental murder that sends the protagonist spiraling out of control. That protagonist is Audrey Greenwood, a rideshare driver who emerges from the pandemic with the realization that she never wants to see her husband Al’s face ever again.
An unhealthy dose of rage and tequila sees Audrey attempt to kill her husband, only things don’t quite go to plan. Before she knows it, Audrey finds herself caught up in a twisting-and-turning murder mystery that has everyone in her small seaside town talking.
The TV series flips the gender roles from the original novel, which had Al as the main character attempting to kill off his wife, Audrey. It also updates the setting from the seaside landscapes of Middle England to the United States.
Byer and Hancock are set to write and executive produce the project. The pair have previously worked together on several shows, including the original CSI, medical drama Chicago Med, and the Fox series The Gifted and Houdini & Doyle.
Cartel Entertainment’s Stan Spry, Jeff Holland, Drew Brown, and Evan Corday will also executive produce. Tim Binding, the real name of TJ Middleton, is on board as a consultant. Fox Entertainment will produce.
Middleton has written three books in the Cliffhanger series, with the first book published in 2008. The sequel, Fish Tale, was released in 2016, with the follow-up, Ship Ahoy!, published in 2017.
The series joins a slate of new Fox shows in development, including the dramas The Cleaning Lady and Monarch and the comedies Pivoting and Welcome to Flatch.
Cliffhanger, TBA, Fox
