Some old favourites and some new thrills are coming to ITV this winter – detective drama fans will enjoy seeing some familiar faces, alongside some newcomers in the best of crime fiction and real life dramatisation.
Unforgotten Series 6
The hugely successful and critically acclaimed drama – created and written by multi-award-winning screenwriter Chris Lang – returns and invites viewers once again into the emotional depth and complexity of cold case investigations.
The sixth series sees the return of Sinéad Keenan and Sanjeev Bhaskar as DCI Jess James and DI Sunil ‘Sunny’ Khan, bringing back their compelling on-screen partnership as they delve into unresolved crimes and promising another powerful exploration of hidden truths and long-buried secrets.
Joining Sinéad and Sanjeev are Victoria Hamilton (Cobra, His Dark Materials), MyAnna Buring (The Responder, The Witcher, The Salisbury Poisonings), new faces Max Fairley and Elham Elas, and celebrated British actors Jan Francis and Damien Maloney.
Returning cast members include Andrew Lancel (Bolan’s Shoes, The Thief, His Wife and The Canoe) as Jess’s husband Steve, and Kate Robbins (The Couple Next Door, Death in Paradise) as her mother Kate. Jess and Sunny’s loyal police team also reassemble featuring Jordan Long as DS Murray Boulting, Carolina Main as DC Fran Lingley, and Pippa Nixon as DC Kaz Willets – Georgia Mackenzie also returns as Pathologist Dr Leanne Balcombe.
The series begins when suspected human remains are uncovered on Whitney Marsh – Jess and Sunny are immediately called to the scene, and as the investigation unfolds, viewers are introduced to a diverse new cast of characters: Melinda Ricci (MyAnna Buring), an outspoken television commentator based in Ireland; Martin ‘Marty’ Baines (Max Fairley), an autistic man living with his mother Dot in Deal, Kent; Asif Syed (Elham Elas), an Afghan training for his UK citizenship test; and Juliet Cooper (Victoria Hamilton), a history lecturer and faculty head at a London university. While these characters live seemingly separate lives, they are intricately connected by their pasts. It’s up to Jess, Sunny, and their dedicated team to uncover these hidden links and ultimately expose the truth behind the cold case murder.
Protection
As much of a conspiracy thriller as it is a police drama, this is the story of a compromised but ultimately honest police officer who is out of her depth yet acutely driven to understand the truth of her lover and how far a case of corruption goes.
Police officer DI Liz Nyles (Siobhan Finneran, Happy Valley, Downton Abbey, Time) works in the secretive and high-stakes world of Witness Protection – when we meet her, she’s juggling a challenging front-line job (with life-and-death consequences for her witnesses) alongside a demanding family life attending to the needs of a teenage daughter, a difficult ex, and a dad recovering from a stroke.
Liz is principled, in control, and scrupulous about the security of her witnesses, particularly the high-risk criminal-turned-informant Jimmy McLennan (Kris Hitchen, The Long Shadow, Four Lives, Trigger Point) and his family. Jimmy is about to testify against his old boss Eddie Crowther (Alec Newman, Karen Pirie, The Last Kingdom), the head of a major organised crime group which has so far evaded prosecution. As with all those under her protection, Liz goes above and beyond to keep Jimmy’s family safe, working with colleague DS Raj Kohli (Chaneil Kular, Sex Education, Bodies) to keep their whereabouts strictly hidden.
Both at work and at home, Liz has always put others first driven by a great sense of duty as a police officer, mother, and as a daughter – however, recently she has decided to take something for herself and has launched thrillingly – and unwisely – into a secret affair with a married and more junior colleague in DS Paul Brandice (Barry Ward, Bad Sisters, The Capture).
A Cruel Love: The Ruth Ellis Story
A Cruel Love: The Ruth Ellis Story – starring Lucy Boynton in the leading role – depicts the untold story of Ruth Ellis, the nightclub manageress and convicted murderer who was the last woman to hang in the UK. Produced by Silverprint Pictures, the four-part drama also stars Toby Jones (Mr Bates vs The Post Office, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, Empire of Light) as Ruth Ellis’s solicitor John Bickford, who gradually realises the extent of Ruth’s abuse at the hands of David Blakely and who takes on the fight to make the case for provocation.
Laurie Davidson (Mary and George, Guilty Party) takes on the role of Ruth’s abusive lover and victim David Blakely, and Mark Stanley (Happy Valley, Dark River) plays Desmond Cussen, Ruth’s devoted admirer and sometime lover who is a regular at the Little Club and becomes caught up in Ruth’s toxic love triangle alongside Blakely. Other key roles include: Joe Armstrong (Happy Valley, Gentleman Jack) as DCI Davies, the detective in charge of Ruth’s case. Arthur Darvill (Broadchurch, Sandman) as Victor Mishcon, Ruth’s charismatic divorce lawyer who took up the fight for her reprieve. Juliet Stevenson (Truly, Madly, Deeply, Wolf) will play Dr Charity Taylor, Governess of Holloway Prison. Toby Stephens (Die Another Day, Black Sails) plays Ruth’s defence barrister Melford Stevenson QC. Nigel Havers (Chariots of Fire, Coronation Street) takes on the role of Judge Havers.
Set in 1955, Ruth is based on Carol Ann Lee’s acclaimed biography A Fine Day for Hanging: The Real Ruth Ellis Story, has been adapted by Kelly Jones (The Long Call, Des, Baptiste), and will be produced by critically acclaimed producers Silverprint Pictures, part of ITV Studios, whose portfolio includes Shetland, Vera, and Flesh and Blood.
Karen Pirie Series 2
The drama written by Emer Kenny (Save Me Too) and adapted from Val McDermid’s novel A Darker Domain will see the return of Lauren Lyle (Outlander, Vigil) to her BAFTA-winning role as fearless young investigator Karen Pirie.
In the societal turmoil of 1984, Catriona Grant is the heiress to an oil fortune when she is kidnapped at gunpoint with her young son Adam – it’s assumed that the motivation is political as the huge investigation creates an uncontrollable press storm… but when the culprits unexpectedly fall silent, the case runs cold and Catriona and Adam are never seen again. When a man’s body is discovered 40 years later, Karen Pirie is assigned to reopen the case in complete secrecy – with the first key piece of evidence in decades, Karen and the team must try to unlock one of Scotland’s most infamous mysteries while avoiding media attention. What happened to Catriona Grant, and why do sinister forces want the secrets of her disappearance to remain hidden?
Karen’s team comprises of DC Jason ‘Mint’ Murray played by Chris Jenks (Sex Education, Vigil), DS Phil Parhatka played by Zach Wyatt (Timestalker, The Witcher: Blood Origin), DCS Lees played by Steve John Shepherd (Harry Potter), Professor River Wilde played by Emer Kenny (The Curse), and journalist Bel Richmond played by Rakhee Thakrar (Wonka).
They will be joined by newcomer DC Isla Stark, who will be played by Saskia Ashdown (Six Four). James Cosmo (Braveheart) and Frances Tomelty (Unforgotten) take on the roles of Catriona’s parents – oil magnate Sir Broderick Grant and his ex-wife Mary – and John Michie (Holby City) will play Fergus Sinclair, the father of Cat’s son Adam.
Transmission dates for all are yet to be confirmed.
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