Signora Volpe is a lavish drama that mixes sleuthing, spying issues and a gorgeous Italian backdrop.
Silent Witness star Emilia Fox plays Sylvia, a former M16 operative who gets drawn into crime-solving when she visits her sister in a quiet village in Umbria, Italy. The disillusioned spy is trying to start a new, slower-paced life but it seems that trouble simply follows her around. Try as she might, Sylvia can’t quite shake her innate sense of justice, and plain nosiness, so finds herself embroiled in some dark and compelling crimes.
This series is written by Rachel Cuperman and Sally Griffiths, who worked together on Midsomer Murders, so we can look forward to seeing some juicy mysteries unfolding. Here’s everything you need to know about Signora Volpe season 1...
Signora Volpe release date
Signora Volpe arrives in autumn 2023 on the UKTV Drama channel on Wednesday November 1 at 8pm. It's a three-parter with episodes running weekly at the same time. It can also be watched as a box set on the UKTV play streaming service.
Signora Volpe previously launched on Monday, May 2 2022 on Acorn TV in the UK and AMC networks elsewhere in the world including the US. Episodes ran every Monday until May 16 2022.
To sign up for Acorn TV, visit www.acorn.tv or download the Acorn TV app on your favourite device to start your 30 day free trial. You can also get Signora Volpe through Acorn TV on Amazon Prime Video (for an extra charge).
Is there a Signora Volpe trailer?
A Signora Volpe trailer has just arrived from Acorn TV and we’re excited to see Emilia Fox sleuthing against the backdrop of stunning Umbria. Take a look below..
Signora Volpe plot
Signora Volpe follows Sylvia Fox (Emilia Fox) who was an M16 spy for years but, searching for a more idyllic life, she visits her sister Isabel Vitale (Tara Fitzgerald) in Umbria, Italy. The plan is to start anew, keep her head down and enjoy the peace and quiet. Motivated by a need to seek out justice, not to mention prove herself right, adventure-seeker Sylvia can’t help but find herself drawn into some dark crimes and intriguing mysteries.
To the casual observer, there’s nothing remarkable about Sylvia Fox (Fox) - an intelligent, confident woman in her forties, she tends to keep quiet about her formidable linguistic abilities, impressive knowledge of weaponry, and skills as a markswoman. Questions about her professional life are met with bland answers about an unspectacular career in the Civil Service. Which is only very slightly true – because until recently, Sylvia was a high-ranking British spy. When Sylvia arrives in Italy for the wedding of her niece Alice, she’s disillusioned with her job at MI6 headquarters in London, and in need of a break. But then the bridegroom disappears, leaving a dead body in the lake at the bottom of his garden, and Sylvia takes it upon herself to solve the mystery and save Alice from disaster.
Despite the unpromising start to her holiday, Sylvia is enchanted by Umbria, the green heart of Italy, and is surprised and pleased to find herself reconnecting with her estranged sister Isabel who lives in the handsome hillside town of Panicale. When she stumbles upon a beautiful, derelict old house, Sylvia decides to buy it, quit her job and start afresh.
Signora Volpe cast — Emilia Fox on playing Sylvia Fox
Sylvia Fox was a high-ranking British spy who has moved to Umbria and drawn into some investigations using her past skills She finds herself involved in a bevy of fresh mysteries – from the disappearance of a young woman a quarter of a century ago, to the theft of a truffle pig, and a blackmail plot against the son of a Russian politician.
"Sylvia’s at a crossroads in her life," Emilia told us. "She’s been totally focused on her work at MI6, to the detriment of her relationships with her family and her ex-husband Adam, played by Jamie Bamber, who she is still working with and sleeping with – which makes life complicated!"
Emilia Fox comes from an acting dynasty (her dad is actor Edward Fox, her mother is Joanna David and her brother is Freddie Fox). She started her career playing Georgiana Darcy in the BBC1 mini-series Pride and Prejudice in 1995.
She went on to star in The Pianist, Things To Do Before You’re 30 and Dorian Gray. Emilia has had roles in The Wrong Mans, The Tunnel and The Trial of Christine Keeler, in which she played Valerie Profumo. However, she’s perhaps best known for her role as Dr Nikki Alexander in the hit BBC1 crime drama Silent Witness which she has starred in since 2004.
Who else is starring in Signora Volpe?
Signora Volpe also star Game of Thrones actress Tara Fitzgerald who plays Sylvia’s sister Isabel who has settled in Umbria. Marcella, Battlestar Galactica and Strike Back actor Jamie Bamber also stars Sylvia's ex Adam who she's still sleeping with. Giovanni Cirfiera (Le Mans ‘66) plays Carabinieri Captain Giovanni Riva while Alexander Arnold (Save Me Too, Yesterday, Poldark) also stars
Signora Volpe episode guide
Here's our brief episode guide for season 1 of Signora Volpe...
Episode 1
Anxious aunt Sylvia Fox goes to Umbria for the wedding of her niece, Alice. But the groom, Tommaso, disappears, leaving a woman's body in the lake at the bottom of his garden.
Episode 2
Sylvia helps out on an archaeological dig at the Castello di Monterosa, and finds a skeleton buried in a shallow grave. The locals are convinced it's that of a teenage girl who disappeared 25 years ago.
Episode 3
When Sasha Pavlenko, the son of a Russian politician, is arrested in Rome for the murder of a fellow student, Sylvia's ex-husband and ex-colleague, Adam, asks her to investigate.
