In an effort to boost its output of high-end TV series, Netflix is once again teaming up with Shonda Rhimes and her Shondaland production company to produce The Residence, a “Hercule Poirot”-style murder-mystery with an eccentric detective and many suspects, but in the most famous mansion of the world: The White House.
Attorney-turned-screenwriter Paul William Davies will serve as writer and showrunner for the series. His credits include such projects as Scandal, Betrayal, and For the People. The Residence will be part of Davies’ new overall deal with Netflix, where Shondaland is also under an exclusive deal.
The Residence joins Shondaland’s series portfolio on Netflix, which includes hit period drama Bridgerton, returning for a second season this month, its Queen Charlotte spinoff as well as Rhimes’ recently released limited series Inventing Anna. Take a look at our preview of all Shondaland projects at Netflix.
Netflix first announced it had acquired the rights to the Kate Anderson Brower book back in July 2018. It announced it was moving forward with the adaptation in March 2022.
Here’s everything else we know about Netflix’s The Residence:
What’s the plot of The Residence?
Netflix’s The Residence will use Kate Andersen Brower’s book The Residence: Inside the Private World of the White House as as a jumping off point to turn it upside down and deliver a murder mystery in the style of Agatha Christie’s Poirot. The series is described as “a screwball whodunnit set in the upstairs, downstairs, and backstairs of the White House, among the eclectic staff of the world’s most famous mansion.”
Also according to the streamer, viewers can expect to see the following key elements: “132 rooms. 157 suspects. One dead body. One wildly eccentric detective. One disastrous State Dinner.” The wildly eccentric detective seems also to be heavily influenced by Poirot.
Who is cast in The Residence?
As of March 2022, no cast members have been announced for Netflix’s The Residence. Given the production companies behind the project, we can likely expect big names to be attached in the coming months.
How many episodes will be in The Residence?
Netflix has confirmed that The Residence will feature eight hour-long episodes.
What’s the production status of The Residence?
Netflix’s The Residence is currently in active development meaning the script is currently being written and revised with pre-production following afterward.
What’s the Netflix release date for The Residence?
Netflix hasn’t announced any dates for The Residence, but considering its very early development stage, we can probably expect only a 2023 release date.