month.

The movie, due to be shown at prime time this fall, is planned as the forerunner of a major series based on Bermuda's Police.

If the two-hour film is successful and the series gets the go-ahead, millions of viewers in Britain and North America will be tuning in every week.

Since news of the project emerged last July, executives from a British TV station have been negotiating to make it with a North American partner.

They have now set up a unique deal with America's NBC network and a Canadian company, it was revealed yesterday.

"The film is definitely going ahead, and both NBC and Canada see it as a pilot for a major series,'' said Ms Vanda Rumney, spokeswoman for co-producers London Weekend TV.

"Within the space of a about a week to 10 days we should able to announce the three lead actors.

"We'll be shooting towards the end of April.'' The show will feature a young English detective in the Bermuda Police and an older American who helps him solve a murder mystery.

It has the proposed title "Bermuda Grace'', because of the name of the US character, Sam Grace.

It is the brainchild of Englishmen Mr. Will Osborne and Mr. Will Davies, hailed as the hottest comedy writers in Hollywood since creating hits like "Twins'' and "Stop or My Mom Will Shoot''.

They have also been working on the new James Bond movie and "Beverly Hills Cop 3''.

Producers hope Bermuda's British-flavoured Police Force and wealthy North American residents will create enough interest for a "major international action-adventure series''.

When told the film was going ahead, Tourism director Mr. Gary Phillips commented: "If TV viewers get it as a weekly series with scenes of Bermuda, that would do an absolutely wonderful job of keeping the Island top of the mind of the entire populace in North America and the UK.

"Provided it is handled well and doesn't present Bermuda in a light which is inconsistent with the way we have been presenting it, which is the way Bermuda really is, we see it as a marvellous opportunity to raise the whole awareness level of the Island.

"In our conversations with them initially we made it very, very clear that while we didn't wish to tie the hands of the creative people, at the same time we didn't wish to see a `Miami Vice' or a `Hawaii Five-O'.

"We were assured that Bermuda would be treated in the best possible light.''