Piven to star as founder of UK’s Selfridges

Jeremy Piven, who played uber-Hollywood agent Ari Gold on the series Entourage, is moving uptown to PBS’ Masterpiece.

Masterpiece executive producer Rebecca Eaton said on Wednesday Piven will star in the drama series Mr Selfridge, about the flamboyant American who founded the British department store Selfridges.

The series’ creator is Emmy Award-winning writer Andrew Davies, whose TV credits include Pride and Prejudice and Bleak House.

Mr Selfridge will air as part of WGBH Boston’s Masterpiece showcase in 2013.

The series is a co-production of Masterpiece and ITV Studios, which also are teaming on new episodes of popular PBS mystery series including the Inspector Morse prequel Endeavor, Miss Marple and Inspector Lewis.