PBS‘ latest British-import crime drama, Patience, debuted on Sunday, June 15, ahead of the Season 10 premiere ofGrantchester. It’s about the life of a young autistic woman whose work in the York Criminal Records Office changes when a detective recognizes her unique powers of deduction and asks her to join her team. Ella Maisy Purvis plays the titular role of Patience Evans, and her costar isBreaking Bad‘s Laura Fraser as DI Bea Metcalf.
As lead writer Matt Baker told TV Insider, Patience and Bea will discover a strong “yin and yang” dynamic throughout the six-episode season, with each of them having much to learn from the other. Their bond will break open their lives in ways they never expected as they solve crimes together. Newcomers to this series might not know thatPatience is an adaptation of a previous work. Here, we break down whatPatience is based on, what it changed from the source material, and what it kept the same.
What isPBS’Patience based on?
Patience is a British adaptation of the French seriesAstrid et Raphaëlle. The five-season series, also known as Astrid: Murder in Paris, debuted on the France 2 network in 2020 and is still ongoing. It stars Sara Mortensen as Astrid Nielsen and Lola Dewaere as Raphaëlle Coste.
Here’s the series description for Astrid: “Astrid Nielsen works in the library of the judicial police. She has Asperger’s syndrome. With an incredible memory she excels at analyzing files of ongoing investigations. The district commander decides to use it to the fullest, entrusting her with very complex investigations which have remained unsolved to date.”
Asperger’s is no longer used as a diagnostic label. The correct term is Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The American Psychiatric Association (APA) updated the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) in 2013. Asperger’s Syndrome was removed as a separate diagnosis in that update and was changed to be included in the category of Autism Spectrum Disorder.
LikeAstrid,Patience centers on two women helping each other solve mysteries. The Patience series premiere included details fromAstrid, such as a flow chart Patience uses to help her complete anxiety-inducing phone calls and Patience’s participation in an adults with autism support group. The head of that group inAstrid is named William. His name is Billy inPatience.
Baker told TV Insider that they wanted to steer away from autism stereotypes inPatience, stereotypes that are somewhat prevalent inAstrid. William, for example, is more “nerdy,” as Baker described, and is into model trains and computers. These are interests that people with autism are typically shown as having in media. ButPatience aimed to make their autistic characters less “other,” Baker said. So, their Billy and their Patience are dressed in more on-trend fashion and have interests that are considered mainstream, such as mountain biking.
Another difference between Patience andAstrid is that Purvis actually has autism, whereas Mortensen does not.
Where can I watch Astrid et Raphaëllein the U.S.?
Astrid et Raphaëlle episodes can currently be streamed on PBS.org in the U.S. and on PBS’ Prime Video channel.
Patience, Sundays, 8/7c, PBS