Aidan Turner to star in ITV adaptation of Michael Robotham’s The Suspect

Aidan Turner in The Suspect

UK commercial broadcaster ITV has commissioned a psychological thriller based on Michael Robotham’s bestselling novel The Suspect, with Poldark’s Aidan Turner starring.

The five-part drama will be produced by Line of Duty, Vigil and The Pembrokeshire Murders production company World Productions, with filming overseen by World Productions head of drama Jake Lushington (Vigil, Born to Kill, The Bletchley Circle) as executive producer.

Turner (The Hobbit, Being Human) will lead the cast, which also includes Shaun Parkes (Small Axe, Lost in Space), Sian Clifford (Quiz, Fleabag), Camilla Beeput (Save Me, Peep Show), Adam James (Vigil, Doctor Foster) and Anjli Mohindra (Vigil, Bodyguard).

Written for the screen by Peter Berry (Gangs of London, The Last Enemy, Prime Suspect), The Suspect focuses on the fall-out from the death of a young woman found in a shallow grave in a West London cemetery.

The series was commissioned by ITV by head of drama Polly Hill and drama commissioner Huw Kennair-Jones.

It will be filmed on location in London this autumn. The drama will be produced by Natasha Romaniuk (Angela Black, The Split) and the first three episodes are directed by James Strong (Vigil, Liar, Broadchurch). Episodes four and five will be directed by Camilla Strøm Henriksen (Phoenix, Occupied, The Truth Will Out).

Strong and Berry exec produce alongside Lushington, with ITV Studios handling global distribution.