ITV visits hospital, warms up Cold Feet

UK commercial broadcaster ITV had ordered a trio of dramas, including shows from Peaky Blinders producer Tiger Aspect and Unforgotten prodco Mainstreet Pictures.

ITV’s new Cold Feet picks up the story 13 years after the last episode

The Good Karma Hospital (6×60′) is set in Goa, India, and follows a team of UK and Indian medics as they cope with work, life and love at an over-worked and under-resourced cottage hospital.

The show begins filming next year and will be executive produced by Will Gould, Frith Tiplady and Iona Vrolyk for Endemol Shine Group-owned Tiger Aspect, which is also behind Ripper Street and Cuffs.

Steve November, ITV’s director of drama, said the show was “a feel-good drama full of warmth and characters we will love.” It has been created and written by Dan Sefton (The Five, Mr Selfridge, Death in Paradise).

ITV has also ordered three-part horror miniseries Him, from Mainstreet Pictures and written by Paula Milne.

Steve November

The story focuses on a 17-year-old boy who hides a supernatural power inherited from his grandfather. It is being exec produced by Laura Mackie and Sally Haynes, who left ITV in 2013 to establish Mainstreet.

Chrissy Skinns (The Last Kingdom, Mr Selfridge, Marchlands) produces and Andy De Emmony (Lucky Man, Recovery, God On Trial and Bletchley Circle) directs.

Meanwhile, ITV has confirmed the return of popular comedy-drama Cold Feet, which will pick up on the story 13 years after the show’s last episode. It will again star James Nesbitt, Robert Bathurst, Hermione Norris, John Thomson and Fay Ripley.

The eight-part series will go into production in Manchester in January, produced by ITV Studios-owned Big Talk Productions with its CEO Kenton Allen and Cold Feet creator and writer Mike Bullen exec producing.

Cold Feet was a ratings hit for ITV during its four-and-a-half years on air between November 1998 and March 2003. The show was sold into 33 territories and was also adapted for US network NBC. However, the Seattle-set version was axed in October 1999 after just four episodes.

All three series, which have been commissioned by November and ITV’s controller of drama Victoria Fea, will be distributed by ITV Studios Global Entertainment.