ITV orders Mammoth drama

UK commercial broadcaster ITV1 has commissioned its second three-part drama this week, about a female police officer who sets out to discover who murdered her husband.

Black Work (3×60’), from Parade’s End producer Mammoth Screen, stars Sheridan Smith (Cilla, The Widower, Mrs Biggs) as the emotionally distraught cop who endeavours to unravel the last six months of her husband’s life.

The project was penned by Matt Charman (Man Stroke Woman, Our Zoo) and filming will commence this autumn in Leeds.

Black Work was commissioned for ITV by director of drama commissioning Steve November and controller of drama Victoria Fea. Michael Samuels (The Fear) directs while Tom Mullens (New Tricks) produces. Rebecca Keane and Damien Timmer exec produce for Mammoth Screen.

Earlier this week, ITV greenlit The Trials of Jimmy Rose (3×60’), from ITV Studios, about a family man trying to move on from his criminal past.

In related news, Great British Bake Off stars Mel Giedroyc and Sue Perkins have landed a chatshow on ITV, 15 years after their Channel 4 show – Light Lunch – was axed. ITV has greenlit 30 episodes of the hour-long yet-to-be-titled daytime series, to be made by Light Lunch prodco Princess Productions.