Masterpiece Mystery! “Zen”

What does an honest cop do when his bosses are on the side of the lawbreakers? Outwitting prosecutors, politicians, mobsters and run-of-the-mill kidnappers and killers, Detective Aurelio Zen brings justice to modern-day Italy, whether the authorities want it or not, on Zen, a trio of spellbinding cases based on the bestselling novels of by British crime writer Michael Dibdin, airing Sundays at 9 p.m. in July, 2011 on Eight.

Rufus Sewell (Middlemarch) stars as Zen, a Roman police detective hailing from Venice, where "Zen" is a local shortening of the name Zeno. Separated from his wife and living with his mother, he is too frazzled by his job to think about romance. That is, until he meets Tania Moretti (Caterina Murino), his chief's new secretary.
Three new episodes airing in 2011, Vendetta (July 17), Cabal (July 24) and Ratking (July 31), showcase an international cast including Ed Stoppard (Upstairs Downstairs), Ben Miles (The Forsyte Saga), Stanley Townsend (Sherlock) and Greg Wise (Return to Cranford).

What does an honest cop do when corruption rules on both sides of the law? Detective Aurelio Zen (Rufus Sewall, Middlemarch), brings justice to modern-day Italy, whether the authorities want it or not.

Episodes will air as follows:

July 17 at 9 p.m.

Vendetta: 

Solving a politically-charged murder and winning a beautiful woman's heart nearly prevents Zen from learning that he is the object of a psychopath's murderous vendetta. With Stanley Townsend (Sherlock).

July 24 at 9 p.m.

Cabal:
When a playboy plummets from a bridge, Zen must determine suicide or murder, all the while navigating the possible existence of a powerful shadowy conspiracy group. Ed Stoppard (Upstairs Downstairs) co-stars.

July 31 at 9 p.m.

Ratking:

When a set of kidnappers won't play by the rules, Zen must work against the clock — and his tyrannical new boss — to save the life of a politically powerful industrialist. Ben Miles (The Forsyte Saga) co-stars.

Media Contact:  Colleen O’Donnell Pierce
colleen.pierce@asu.edu
(602) 496-0579
(602) 478-3867 (cell)
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