Actress and model Elizabeth Hurley will play a “dearly departed” and “fabulously glamorous benefactor” in the upcoming Channel 4 reality series The Deceased, the U.K. broadcaster unveiled on Wednesday.
“Thirteen strangers are summoned to a grand stately home. They are there to compete for part of the fortune left in the will of The Deceased,” according to a show description. “But winning the money won’t be easy. The Deceased had a wicked sense of humor and has designed a mischievous game to ensure only the best players can get their hands on her inheritance.”
Overseeing the stipulations of The Deceased’s is her executor and trusted legal counsel, portrayed by lawyer and British TV personality Robert Rinder.
“The lucky 13 must work as a team to complete The Deceased’s final requests, a series of devilishly difficult assignments that will demand they are clever, collaborative and cunning,” said Channel 4. In a key twist, only one player can claim the money gained in each request.
“It’s a thrill to be part of this clever game, playing The Deceased,” Hurley said. “It all takes place on her huge estate in the English countryside, and she dresses to the nines in every scene.”
Added Rinder: “This is a high-stakes strategy game served with a side of scheming and sabotage. As The Executor I enforce the rules, keep the chaos in check – more or less – and make sure our players are deserving of every glittering penny left by our dearly departed deceased, played by the iconic Elizabeth Hurley.”
The Inheritance will air on Channel 4 this fall. The 12-episode series is co-produced by Studio Lambert, part of All3Media, owned by Jeff Zucker and Gerry Cardinale’s RedBird IMI, and GroupM Motion Entertainment. It was commissioned for Channel 4 by Steve Handley, head of reality & entertainment, with Tom Beck, head of live events and commissioning editor, reality & entertainment and Genna Gibson, commissioning editor, reality & entertainment.
The executive producers for Studio Lambert are Tim Harcourt, Darrell Olsen, Kim Murphy and Joe Wildman, with Martin Oxley for GroupM Motion Entertainment. The production executives for Studio Lambert are Shona Kemp and Ellie Rowe, with Karen Bonnici for GroupM Motion Entertainment. All3Media International will handle format and tape sales worldwide.