Universal TV has today announced the territory premiere of the comedy-drama, Wild Cards. The new show comprises ten unmissable episodes; the first two will air back-to-back on Tuesday 3 September 2024, ahead of one new episode airing weekly until 29 October on Universal TV (DStv 117).

Wild Cards is a crime-solving procedural with a comedic twist that follows the unlikely duo of a by-the-book, sardonic cop, and a spirited, clever con woman. Cole Ellis (Giacomo Gianniotti, Grey’s Anatomy) is a demoted detective who has begrudgingly spent the last year on the maritime unit, while Max Mitchell (Vanessa Morgan, Riverdale) has been living a transient life elaborately scamming everyone she meets. But while arrested and being held at the station, Max ends up helping Ellis solve a local crime. 

The two are offered the opportunity to redeem themselves – Ellis needs to get back to his detective post and Max needs to stay out of jail. The catch? They have to work together, each using their unique skills to solve crimes. For Ellis, that means hard-boiled shoe leather police work; for Max, it means accents, disguises, schemes and generally befriending everyone in sight, while driving Ellis absolutely nuts. The two will have to learn what it means to trust another person and maybe actually become partners.

Season 1 of Wild Cards features the following episodes:

1. September 3, 20:00 – The Infinity Thief. When Ellis, a loner detective relegated to the marine unit, collides with Max, a clever con artist, the City’s Commissioner forces the two unlikely opposites to become partners neither of them wants.
2. September 3, 20:50 – Show Me the Murder. A harmless porch pirate case leads Max and Ellis to stumble upon the murder of a cutthroat sports agent.
3. September 10, 20:00 – Howl to Get Away with Murder. When small town heartthrob butcher turns up murdered in a wolf sanctuary, Max and Ellis sniff out lies buried deep beneath the quaint veneer of wine country.
4. September 17, 20:00 – Strangers on a Wave. After a surfer gets shot and washes up on the beach, Ellis and Max pull a rare switcheroo as Ellis dives undercover and Max puts on her detective hat to unravel a criminal plot worthy of Hitchcock.
5. September 24, 20:00 – The Accountant of Monte Cristo. When Ellis’s federal agent ex-girlfriend loses an accountant scheduled to testify against the mob, she enlists their help to find him before the accountant ends up sleeping with the fishes.
6. October 1, 20:00 – Dead of Night. When the leads of THE most popular vampire show on TV become the target of a stalker, Max and Ellis enter the world of showbiz where the behind-the-scenes drama is even wilder than what’s on screen.
7. October 8, 20:00 – Con with the Wind. George gets a three-day pass from jail to spend his birthday with Max and feels the urge to pull one more con. Ellis helps a troubled youth charged with a B&E after he discovers it’s a teen his brother used to know.
8. October 15, 20:00 – Eternal Sunshine of the Therapized Mind. The suspicious murder of a celebrity therapist sends Max and Ellis digging into the surprising (and often uncomfortable) world of self-help, forcing them to dig up their own issues along the way.
9. October 22, 20:00 – Inside (Con)Man. When Max is taken hostage during a bank robbery, Ellis goes against protocol to secretly infiltrate the bank, where he and Max work together to negotiate the release of hostages.
10. October 29, 20:00 – Romancing the Egg. Ellis is drawn into a case involving Max, her ex, and a world-famous Imperial egg, where a cat-and-mouse heist tests their friendship, their partnership, and their trust in each other.

Wild Cards forms part of Universal TV’s September multi-show programming stunt, spotlighting an exciting lineup of new shows and seasons coming to Africa this Spring. This includes: NCIS: Sydney (Season 1), Chicago Med (Season 7), S.W.A.T. (Season 6), as well as some continuing titles: Tribal (Season 2), Chicago P.D. (Season 10), S.W.A.T. (Season 5), and Magnum P.I. (Season 3).

From Blink49 Studios, Front Street Pictures and Piller/Segan in association with The CW for commissioning broadcaster CBC in Canada, Wild Cards is created by Michael Konyves. Executive producers include Konyves, pilot director James Genn, Shawn Piller, Lloyd Segan, and writers Alexandra Zarowny, James Thorpe, Noelle Carbone and Morwyn Brebner. Wild Cards is produced by Charles Cooper and Virginia Rankin. The series is overseen by Carolyn Newman, Tashi Bieler and Alix Steerman on behalf of Blink49 Studios. International distribution outside of North America is handled by FIFTH SEASON.

Universal TV is available on DStv Channel 117 across Africa.