ITV in the UK orders thriller The Only Suspect, greenlights reality series The Vardys

UK commercial broadcaster ITV has commissioned suspense thriller The Only Suspect, based on the novel by Louise Candlish.

Kevin McKidd

Produced by Fremantle label Red Planet Pictures (Death in Paradise), it stars Kevin McKidd (Grey’s Anatomy) as a man whose picture-perfect suburban life hides his involvement in a decades-old murder.

The four-part series will begin filming in London this Spring. Fremantle is handling global distribution.

Huw Kennair-Jones, drama commissioner, ITV, said: “Brilliantly produced by the team at Red Planet, The Only Suspect promises to deliver a gripping story full of shocking revelations and twists. It promises to be a real treat for the ITV and ITVX audience.”

In other ITV news, the broadcaster has ordered new reality series The Vardys, for ITV1 and streamer ITVX.

Produced by Orchard Studios, it follows soccer star Jamie Vardy and his wife Rebekah as they leave the UK for a new life abroad in Italy with their four kids.

Louise Major, commissioning editor for entertainment & reality, said: “At a pivotal moment in their lives, this is a rare and revealing look behind the headlines – from the highs of Jamie’s football legacy to the realities of starting over as a family.”