STILL TO COME THIS YEAR IN DRAMA

A look ahead to some of the new and returning drama series expected to air later this year.

Waterloo Road

BBC One

Waterloo Road initially ran on the BBC between 2006 and 2015, and following its breakout success on BBC iPlayer during lockdown it returned with new episodes at the start of 2023 with a cast including Angela Griffin, Adam Thomas and Kym Marsh among the school staff, and an ensemble of exciting newcomers and rising stars as pupils.

Sherwood

BBC One

The second series further explores the powerful themes that made the first so resonant to audiences across the UK. Set in the present day it introduces two new families that find themselves entangled with the Sparrows, entering a complex web of local gangs, old rivalries, revenge, and betrayal.

Meanwhile, a newly appointed Sheriff of Nottingham is passionately fighting against a proposed new mine for the area, which brings the promise of much needed jobs and prosperity but also unwelcome reminders of the legacy that has mired the community for so long.

Nightsleeper

BBC One

Abby Aysgarth, the Acting Technical Director at the UK’s National Cyber Security Centre, who’s finally about to take a well-earned holiday when she receives a phone call that will change everything - the UK railway network is under attack.

Joe Cole plays Joe Roag, an off-duty cop onboard and hoping for a quiet night. However, over the next six rollercoaster hours, Joe’s about to get anything but, as he and Abby battle both their own distrust and the unpredictable behaviour of the person or persons now in control, desperate to try and stop the Heart of Britain from reaching the end of the line, in more ways than one…

Kidnapped

BBC Three

Written by Georgia Lester (Killing Eve, Skins) and made by River Pictures, in association with ZDFneo, Kidnapped: The Chloe Ayling Story is based on detailed research, extensive interviews, documented legal proceedings and Chloe’s own book Kidnapped. It will tell Chloe’s personal story in full for the first time, going behind the headlines to shine a light on the emotional truth.

The series follows her terrifying kidnap, her bravery and resilience in captivity, and the subsequent court case that put her kidnappers in jail. Yet despite their convictions, Chloe faced headlines accusing her of faking her own kidnapping, and found herself at the centre of a media storm.

Joan

ITV1

The series takes inspiration from the fascinating life of Joan Hannington, a notorious jewel thief, and is written by the acclaimed screenwriter Anna Symon (The Essex Serpent and Mrs Wilson) with Helen Black writing episode four.

BAFTA award-winning director Richard Laxton (Rain Dogs, The Thief, His Wife and the Canoe, Mrs Wilson) brings to life this exhilarating yet emotional story set against the vibrant backdrop of the 1980s - an era known for its bold fashion trends, iconic music and cultural shifts.

DI Ray

ITV1

Set in Birmingham, the series, will see Leicester-born DI Ray investigating the murder of a high-profile criminal. Sensitive ethnic issues relating to the case ignite racial tensions, causing a personal conflict for Rachita, both as a British Asian woman and as a police officer, which she must fight to prevent a turf war erupting on the streets of Birmingham…

Platform 7

ITV1

After witnessing a cataclysmic event on Platform 7, Lisa is forced to confront the mystery of her death. Marooned in the train station where she died, Lisa has no memory of who she was. After witnessing a cataclysmic event on Platform 7, her fragmented memories return to reveal the mystery of her death.

Until I Kill You

ITV1

The extraordinary true story of Delia Balmer, who survived a near-fatal relationship with murderer John Sweeney, is the subject of a new four-part drama, Delia Balmer (w/t), commissioned by ITV’s Head of Drama Polly Hill from globally renowned ITV Studios label, World Productions.

BAFTA-winning actress Anna Maxwell Martin (Motherland, A Spy Among Friends) will take the role of Delia Balmer, whilst renowned actor and director Shaun Evans (Endeavour, Vigil) will play John Sweeney. Delia Balmer (w/t) will premiere on ITV1 and ITVX. 

Suspect

Channel 4

The second season picks up where the first left off, with Dr Susannah Newman (Anne-Marie Duff; Bad Sisters, The Salisbury Poisonings) on a quest to find the truth about her daughter’s tragic death.

When a mysterious new client Jon (Dominic Cooper; Preacher, Mamma Mia!) makes a disturbing confession under hypnosis, Susannah is forced to embark on her own deadly mission to save a life, the way she couldn’t do with her own daughter… 

Ellis

Channel 5

The three-part series will follow DCI Ellis, played by three-time Olivier Award winner Sharon D. Clarke (Showtrial, Lost Boys & Fairies, Rocketman), a tenacious cop who is parachuted into failing investigations.

Each two-hour episode sees Ellis – accompanied by her right-hand man DS Harper, played by Andrew Gower (The Winter King, Carnival Row, Outlander) – arrive at a different police station, where she will have to win over the local detectives and immerse herself in the cases she has come to solve.

All Creatures Great & Small

Channel 5

Returning for the fifth series is Nicholas Ralph as vet James Herriot, and Samuel West as his mercurial mentor Siegfried Farnon. Anna Madeley returns as the matriarch of Skeldale House, Mrs Hall along with Rachel Shenton as the charismatic Helen Herriot.

James Anthony-Rose also reappears as Richard Carmody. Also returning is Patricia Hodge as the wonderfully sophisticated Mrs Pumphrey, and her adored pampered Pekingese Tricki. Callum Woodhouse reprises his role as Tristan Farnon, Siegfried’s mischievous brother who has been serving in the Royal Army Veterinary Corps, when he makes an unexpected return later in the series.  

Transmission details for all titles above will be announced in due course.