ITV has announced its Christmas TV highlights, with productions including thrillers with Martin Clunes and James Norton, the return of detective favourite Vera, and a four-part series on the life of Cary Grant.
Here are some of the top titles.
Out There
County lines drug-dealing and an escalating and insidious crime wave sweeping the British countryside are the subject of this drama starring Martin Clunes as a farmer confronted with
dark forces seeping into his rural community.
The drama will depict the stealthy and surreptitious invasion of the land our farmer cherishes with devastating consequences as his livelihood, homestead and family life are threatened by local county lines drugs dealers who are essentially urban gangs using the British countryside as a
field of operations and moving drugs and money between their inner-city hubs and provincial areas.
Written by screenwriter Ed Whitmore (Steeltown Murders, Grace, Manhunt, Silent Witness, Safe House) and director Marc Evans (Steeltown Murders, Manhunt, The Pembrokeshire Murders, Grav), and produced by Buffalo Pictures (Manhunt, Doc Martin, Arthur & George), the series is set in the beautiful Welsh countryside.
Playing Nice
A psychological thriller adapted by Malpractice writer Grace Ofori-Attah from the best-selling novel by British thriller author JP Delaney, with Kate Hewitt (One Day) directing all episodes. BAFTA-nominated James Norton (Happy Valley, A Little Life, Nowhere Special), BAFTA-nominated Niamh Algar (Mary and George, The Virtues, Raised By Wolves, The Wonder, Calm With Horses), Olivier-nominated James McArdle (Sexy Beast, The Mare of Easttown, Life After Life) and BIFA-nominated Jessica Brown Findlay (The Flatshare, Life After Life, Black Mirror, Downton Abbey) all take leading roles in the limited series.
Set against a sweeping Cornish landscape, two couples discover that their toddlers were switched at birth in a hospital mix-up and face a horrifying dilemma: do they keep the sons they have raised and loved or reclaim their biological child? Living a waking nightmare, Pete (James Norton) and Maddie (Niamh Algar) are jettisoned into the world of the other couple Miles (James McArdle) and Lucy (Jessica Brown Findlay). At first it seems all four are agreed on a solution, but it soon becomes clear that hidden motives are at play – how far can each couple trust the real parents of their child or even each other? As Pete and Maddie are stretched to breaking point, they realise that they will stop at nothing to keep their family together.
Vera Series 14
Renowned film, theatre, and television actress Brenda Blethyn OBE makes an emotional return for the 14th and final series of ITV’s popular crime drama. Spanning two epic feature-length episodes, these new stories entitled Inside and The Dark Wives, intertwine gripping murder mysteries with the heartfelt narrative of Vera’s personal journey. Filmed in and around the North East, the strong ensemble cast reunited with Brenda includes David Leon as DI Joe Ashworth, Jon Morrison as DC Kenny Lockhart, Riley Jones as DC Mark Edwards, Sarah Kameela Impey as pathologist Dr Paula Bennett, and Rhiannon Clements as DC Steph Duncan.
In the first episode, DCI Vera Stanhope is called to the banks of the Tyne where the body of a young man has been discovered by some anglers. A tangled web of a broken relationship, secret love, grudges, regret, and fraud begins to emerge – has our former inmate been served cold justice, or does his death run deeper? The final episode brings Vera back to a familiar place when a body is found at the foot of legendary local stones The Dark Wives – with memories of childhood in the background, Vera must work hard to uncover the mystery of why a bright young student would be violently attacked and left so far from home. This poignant episode weaves together past and present and makes for a compelling and emotional farewell.
Also scheduled is a special celebratory documentary marking the end of the beloved TV detective drama Vera. With exclusive behind-the-scenes access to the final series, viewers will discover the enduring appeal of the show and its profound impact on the cast, crew, and fans alike.
Archie
A four-part drama depicting the life of Cary Grant, Hollywood’s greatest leading man, and starring Jason Isaacs in the leading role. Born in Bristol in England in 1904 to parents Elsie and Elias, Archie tells the story of a young Archibald Alexander Leach’s troubled childhood and how extreme poverty, his father’s adultery and the loss of his older brother John tore the family apart and sent his loving mother into a downward spiral of grief and depression – Jeff Pope’s scripts reveal how deceit, cruelty, and one overpowering lie shaped Archie’s life. At 14, Archie auditioned for the music hall act the Bob Pender Troupe – a band of acrobats, stilt walkers, clown and comedians – after seeing them perform at the Bristol Hippodrome. Lean and athletic, he learned the art of stilt walking – when the troupe went on tour to the US, teenage Archie was intoxicated by the land of opportunity.
The drama intercuts with scenes from 1961 when at the height of his fame living in Benedict Canyon, Los Angeles, the legendary actor was breaking all box office records but desperately unhappy in his private life. With two failed marriages behind him, he began to woo a young actress he’d seen on a TV show called Dyan Cannon.
Royal Variety Performance
Amanda Holden and Alan Carr will host the world’s longest running entertainment show as it returns to the magnificent Royal Albert Hall in London for a spectacular evening in the presence of members of the Royal Family. The show will feature singer Sydnie Christmas, the winner of this year’s Britain’s Got Talent, and more stellar performances from the worlds of music, theatre, comedy and variety. The event is staged in aid of the Royal Variety Charity – the money raised from the show helps those people from the world of entertainment in need of care and assistance.
Bullseye
The game show is back on ITV with cricketing legend Freddie Flintoff at the presenting helm. Bullseye is one of the UK’s most successful and best-loved family game shows – in this brand-new Christmas special, each playing team will be made up of an amateur dart player known as the ‘thrower’ and their team partner the ’knower’. They will combine their skills and throw darts at different game boards while answering questions correctly for ‘points and prizes’.
I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! The Coming Out Show
This special will give viewers exclusive behind the scenes access into the latest series of I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here! We’ll see how each campmate left the jungle, how they celebrated their first night free of Bushtucker, what they ate and how quickly they jumped into a nice soft bed. It’s a chance for the celebrities to finally find out what viewers and their fellow campmates have been saying about them before coming back together in the ‘real world’ for one last party – a reunion – and we also see them in emotional scenes as they’re reunited with their much-missed family and friends.
For the Love of Dogs Christmas Special
It’s Christmas at Battersea Dogs and Cats Home, but not everyone is feeling festive… Luckily, pantomime queen Alison Hammond is on hand to spread some seasonal magic and help give some of the animals of Battersea the ultimate Christmas present – a forever home… oh, yes she will! With the help of a very special Secret Santa, Alison will tell the stories of some of Battersea’s newest arrivals and follow the expert staff and volunteers as they prepare the good boys and girls for their potential new owners.
ITVX Movies
ITVX users can enjoy an exceptional selection of blockbuster films this festive season. They include the original Star Wars trilogy, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016), Jurassic World: Dominion (2022), Fast & Furious 9: The Fast Saga (2021), and Dame Maggie Smith’s penultimate film; Downton Abbey: A New Era (2022) amongst many others.
Transmission dates for all programmes are yet to be announced.
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