Tatau is heading for BBC Three, the first new genre commission by the channel since In the Flesh.

The series by Strike Back and New Tricks writer Richard Zajdlic follows two friends from London who travel to the Cook Islands in the South Pacific. One of the friends, Kyle, who got a Maori-style tattoo before the trip, has a premonition of a killing and decides they must try to stop it.

The series is being co-produced by Touchpaper, makers of Being Human, and All3Media-owned South Pacific Pictures and in association with BBC America.

“Tatau is an ambitious new BBC Three drama series that will raise the bar for viewers of the channel who have a real appetite for distinctive stories from all different worlds,” Ben Stephenson, controller of BBC drama explained.

“BBC Three has rightfully made a name for itself producing multi-award-winning dramas like In the Flesh, The Fades and Being Human,” said Sam Bickley, the  channel editor . “Tatau very much continues the channel’s tradition for commissioning original, innovative and exciting drama that you would not expect to see anywhere else.”