Memory of a Killer is an American crime drama television series created by Ed Whitmore and Tracey Malone that premiered on Fox on January 25, 2026. It is based on the 2003 Belgian film De Zaak Alzheimer and the 1985 novel of the same name. In April 2026, the series was renewed for a second season.
Contents
Premise
Angelo Doyle is a contract killer and family man struggling to keep his two lives separate. His worlds begin to collide when an attempt is made on his pregnant daughter's life. Angelo often visits his Dementia-ridden brother in a memory care facility, while there are signs that the disease is starting to affect Angelo as well.
Cast and characters
Main
Patrick Dempsey as Angelo Doyle
Richard Harmon as Joe, Angelo's right-hand man and Dutch's nephew
Odeya Rush as Maria Doyle, Angelo's pregnant daughter
Peter Gadiot as Dave
Daniel David Stewart as Jeff, Maria's husband and Angelo's son in-law
Michael Imperioli as Dutch, a man who Angelo works for
Meta Golding as Mel (season 2)
Recurring
Michaela McManus as Nicky (season 1), Angelo's love interest
Richard Clarkin as Michael Doyle, Angelo's older brother who is suffering from Alzheimer's disease and living in a nursing home
Ian Matthews as Earl Hancock, the man who went to prison for killing Angelo's wife
Thamela Mpumlwana as Wesley, the assistant of custom bullet maker Belinda
Gina Torres as Linda Grant (season 1), an FBI agent who is very determined to take down Angelo
Natalie Zea as Olivia (season 2)
Production
Development
On May 12, 2025, Fox gave production a straight-to-series order to Memory of a Killer. It is based on the 2003 Belgian film De Zaak Alzheimer. The series is created by Ed Whitmore and Tracey Malone who are also expected to executive produce alongside Cathy Schulman, Arthur Sarkissian, Martin Campbell, and Peter Bouckaert. Production companies involved with producing the series are Warner Bros. Television, Fox Entertainment, Welle Entertainment, and Eyeworks. On July 2, 2025, David Schulner joined the series as an executive producer and co-showrunner alongside Whitmore and Malone. On November 10, 2025, Schulner, Whitmore, and Malone stepped down as co-showrunners and were replaced by Aaron Zelman and Glenn Kessler. On April 6, 2026, Fox renewed the series for a second season.
Casting
Upon the series order announcement, Patrick Dempsey was cast to star. Dempsey also executive produces the series. In July 2025, Michael Imperioli, Richard Harmon, and Odeya Rush joined the cast as series regulars. On August 7, 2025, Daniel David Stewart and Peter Gadiot were cast in starring roles. In September 2025, Michaela McManus and Gina Torres joined the cast in recurring capacities. In July 2026, Meta Golding was cast a series regular while Natalie Zea joined the cast in a recurring role for the second season.
Filming
Principal photography for the series began on August 18, 2025, and concluded on February 9, 2026 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Release
Memory of a Killer premiered on Fox on January 25, 2026. Australian streaming service Stan acquired the rights to stream the series at the same time as in the United States (January 26 in Australia).
Reception
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the series holds a 45% approval rating based on 11 critic reviews, with an average of rated reviews of 5.2/10. Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned a score of 58 out of 100 based on 9 critics, indicating "mixed or average".