TV crew scouts Minneapolis for new series

Giillian Anderson and Jamie Dornan star in the original "The Fall," which is being adapted for American television. Minneapolis is under consideration as the location.

A British production crew was in town recently braving subzero temps and hockey-rink roads as they checked out Minneapolis as a possible location for an American version of the hit BBC serial-killer series "The Fall." Starring Gillian Anderson as a detective in Belfast on the tail of a killer whose day job is grief counselor (Jamie Dornan, who's since been cast as the male lust interest in the "Fifty Shades of Grey" movie), the show was no. 1 in its time slot in Britain last spring, and has been popular on Netflix streaming here. American author A.M. Homes, who will write the teleplay for the as-yet-uncast U.S. adaptation, came along for the ride. "Instead of just blowing into town to see if we'll give them the best deal, they actually talked to police officers about what particular crime problems we have," said Lucinda Winter, director of the Minnesota Film & TV Board. "They said they want a place with interesting back stories." Winter estimates if Minneapolis lands the show, the production will spend at least $8 million in the state and be eligible for a 25-percent kickback incentive through the Legacy-funded Snowbate program. Only two other cities (that Winter knows of) are in the running, Pittsburgh and New Haven.