BritBox lines up STV Studios thriller

BritBox, the US-based subscription service from BBC Studios and ITV, has commissioned its latest original drama, produced by Scotland-based prodco STV Studios.

Soumya Sriraman

The Victim is a four-part thriller co-funded and distributed internationally by UK-based sales house Sky Vision.

Starring Kelly Macdonald (Boardwalk Empire, Brave, The Girl In The Café), John Hannah (Marvel’s Agents of SHIELD, The Mummy) and James Harkness (Macbeth, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story), the series will debut this autumn.

It follows bereaved mother Anna Dean (MacDonald), who believes her young son was murdered by older boy Craig Meyers (Harkness) 14 years before.

Years later and now a family man, Meyers is pulled back into the spotlight when, out of vengeance, Dean posts his new identity and location online, leading to him being savagely beaten.

Soumya Sriraman, president of BritBox, has previously highighted the company’s planned focus on original content.

She said: “In the content-driven world of streaming, it is imperative to find programming that is equal parts thrilling and thought-provoking. The Victim goes beyond your typical mystery and introduces a psychological element that will get audiences talking as they watch each episode.”

In recent months the service has added There She Goes, starring David Tennant, The Heist At Hatton Garden, starring Timothy Spall, and Living The Dream, with Philip Glenister, Kim Fields and Kevin Nash.