Buyers in the U.S. and UK have checked in to Blue Murder Motel. The cozy crime show about a pair of career cops who retire to a beachside town hails from New Zealand and has been picked up by Acorn TV for the U.S. and Canada and ITV for the UK.

The series follows married couple Vinny and Cole, who leave their cop careers behind to run a motel in a sunny beachside New Zealand town. Events take an unexpected turn when a dead body is discovered. That sets the tone, as the retired detectives find themselves drawn into investigating crimes, with a new case in each episode.

Blue Murder Motel was created by Kate McDermott (Step Dave) and directors include Lucy Lawless. Michala Banas (McLeod’s Daughters) stars as Vinny and Brett Tucker (The Americans) as Cole. The cast also includes Jayden Daniels, Stephanie Tauevihi and Jaime McDermott. A second season is in production.

The series is produced by Great Southern Television for Kiwi pubcaster TVNZ. It is sold by APC, which launched it at London Screenings in Feb. Cozy crime remains a big seller internationally. The UK has shows such as Midsomer Murders and Death in Paradise, and France has emerged as a hot spot for the drama sub-genre, with hits including High Intellectual Potential and Bright Minds (aka Astrid et Raphaëlle).

APC has also sold the series to BBC First for Benelux and Poland and Disney for its Star Crime channel in the Balkans.

Emmanuelle Guilbart and Laurent Boissel, Joint CEOs and Joint Founders of APC, said: “There continues to be strong demand for well-written, light crime drama. Blue Murder Motel is the perfect example of a primetime series that is warm, funny and hugely appealing to wide audiences all around the globe.”