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ITV Studios has unveiled its drama slate for Mipcom, led by lunar thriller “First Woman,” and a further four new titles, including Steven Moffat’s workplace drama “Number 10.” Among the talent heading for the distributor’s
Cannes showcase are Luke Evans, Richard Armitage, Adrian Dunbar, Lauren Lyle and Emmy-winning “Sherlock” writer Moffat.
Evans, whose credits include “Nine Perfect Strangers,” “Murder Mystery” and “The Pembrokeshire Murders,” stars in World Productions’ psychological thriller “The Party”; Armitage, known for “Missing You,” “Red Eye” and “Fool Me Once,” leads in Eagle Eye Drama’s series “Winter”; Dunbar, who appeared in “Ridley” and “Inside No. 9,” is in the smash-hit police procedural “Line of Duty”; Lyle, from “Outlander” and “Vigil,” is the star of “Karen Pirie”; and Moffat, a BAFTA winner for “Doctor Who,” is coming with Hartswood Films’ “Number 10.”
The New Launches
The latest additions to the scripted slate feature the thriller “First Woman,” a co-production of Mammoth Screen and Alcon Entertainment in co-production with ZDF, starring Andrea Riseborough, Ashley Walters, Alex Hassell and Jennifer Ehle, following a female astronaut who mysteriously goes missing on the Moon, alongside the witty drama “Number 10,” set inside one of the most famous addresses in the world, featuring an all-star ensemble cast including Rafe Spall, Jenna Coleman and Katherine Kelly.
They are joined by gripping procedural “Winter,” based on the hit French drama “Balthazar,” starring a gifted yet unconventional pathologist in Bristol, played by Armitage, and World Productions’ suspenseful adaptation of Elizabeth Day’s bestselling novel “The Party,” launching on ITV on Oct. 11, and starring Tom Cullen alongside Evans, as well as co-star Sarah Solemani, who also pens the scripts.
Blockbuster Returners
Returning fan favorites on the slate include a trio of World Productions hits: police procedural “Line of Duty,” which is the most-watched U.K. TV drama of the 21st century, returning for its highly anticipated seventh season with Martin Compston, Vicky McClure and Adrian Dunbar reuniting, and Robert Carlyle joining the all-star cast; propulsive thriller “Vigil,” starring Suranne Jones and Rose Leslie, which is set in the Arctic Circle for its third instalment; and the cold-case detective drama “Karen Pirie,” adapted from celebrated crime writer Val McDermid’s bestselling series of novels. Completing the lineup is the third season of BBC’s biggest scripted launch of 2026 to date, with episode one from Season 2 attracting 9.1 million viewers, “Ludwig.” From Big Talk Studios, the International Emmy Award-winning detective drama, starring David Mitchell and Anna Maxwell Martin, follows a genius puzzle setter navigating life as a police consultant.
Iconic Franchises
ITV Studios has revealed that all four original seasons of Hartswood Films’ globally loved iconic award-winning “Sherlock” (2010-2017) have now joined the ITV Studios sales catalog. This fast-paced reimagining of the Arthur Conan Doyle classic stars BAFTA winners Benedict Cumberbatch, Martin Freeman and Andrew Scott, from creators Moffatt and Mark Gatiss.
Tom Clark, exec VP, global sales and commercial strategy at ITV Studios, said: “Our slate presents the very best in world-class storytelling, anchored by our ambitious new lunar thriller ‘First Woman,’ with a story that couldn’t be more timely and production qualities that are truly out of this world, in every sense. When it comes to crime and thrillers, I believe we have one of, if not the best lineup of any studio, with new and gripping titles like ‘The Party’ and ‘Winter,’ alongside blockbuster returners such as ‘Line of Duty’ and ‘Vigil.’”
Variety spoke to Julie Meldal-Johnsen, executive VP global content and content strategy at ITV Studios, about the drama slate.
Speaking about “Number 10” she said, “It’s absolutely fantastic. I think U.K. and global audiences are in for a real treat, and that’s not just sales spin. It’s an absolute delight. Steven’s scripts are utterly brilliant, sharp, witty, pacey. The cast is just fantastic.”
Regarding “Winter,” she said, “They’ve done an incredible job. It looks gorgeous. It’s stylish. It’s pacey. Richard Armitage plays this very brilliant forensic pathologist. It’s a case of the week. He uses his skills. He teams up with the local police force to solve a case. But meanwhile, there’s this very intriguing, emotional, serialized arc where he’s looking to find who murdered the woman he loved, and bring that person to justice. So it works really well as a closed-ended crime series with a nice emotional arc as well. It’s a really nice blend of mystery, police procedural and character.”
Regarding the challenge of launching a new show, she said, “‘First Woman’ is one of the biggest investments we’ve made for many years, and one of ITV’s highest budget series ever. It is new, and people do say that buyers are risk averse, but if a show is really good and really engaging and has got a hook and is executed brilliantly, the buyers out there are not running scared from that – from what we can see.
“There’s a phenomenal cast: Andrea Riseborough, Ashley Walters, Alex Hassell and Jennifer Ehle. It’s one of the biggest budget shows we’ve tackled. We bluntly wouldn’t have been able to do it without the support of the film company Alcon Entertainment. They’ve also got an active TV business now. They’re making the new ‘Blade Runner’ series for Amazon and several others coming. So they’ve been fantastic partners both financially and creatively.”
“Ludwig” continues to be a success in the U.K. and internationally. “Season 2 has just launched brilliantly on the BBC, and our clients love it. I love it. My 10-year-old daughter loves it. Her friends at school are asking, ‘Can I get David Mitchell’s autograph?’ So I think it’s just got really wide appeal. It wasn’t a slam dunk. It was commissioned out of the comedy department of the BBC, not the drama department. So it had an unusual start to its life, but it’s got such a style.
“It just is a show that knows exactly what it is. It’s smart. It’s witty. It’s funny. It’s warm. There’s a proper mystery to solve each episode, and a really intriguing serialized arc as well. Its camerawork is fantastic. It’s pacey, and I think its humor is both gentle and sharp at the same time. And, you know, from ‘Columbo’ onwards, a sort of slightly hapless but brilliant detective resonates really well, and the chemistry between David Mitchell and Anna Maxwell Martin is brilliant.”
