Sheridan Smith drama set for ITV

UK commercial broadcaster ITV has commissioned a four-part drama starring Sheridan Smith (Cilla) from StudioCanal-owned Red Production Company.

Sheridan Smith

No Return is written by Danny Brocklehurst and has been greenlit by ITV head of drama Polly Hill.

The 4×60’ scripted series focuses on a family holiday to Turkey that turns into a nightmare for the parents when their 16-year-old son is accused of a serious crime.

No Return will be produced by outgoing Red Production Company boss Nicola Shindler and exec producer Richard Fee. Hannah Quinn will direct the series.

Brocklehurst, Shindler, Fee and Quinn recently worked together on Red’s Netflix dramas Safe and The Stranger, which were co-written by novelist Harlan Coben.

Hill said: “This is a brilliant script about a family who are out of their depth, in a legal system they don’t understand, trying to save their son. Danny finds such emotional truth in the characters and their nightmare holiday that it’s utterly compelling from start to finish. I’m delighted to be working with Danny and Nicola again on what promises to be a very special drama for ITV.”

Shindler and her team are currently filming contemporary six-part drama Finding Alice for ITV, written by Simon Nye and Roger Goldby. The series stars Keeley Hawes, Joanna Lumley, Nigel Havers, Gemma Jones, Kenneth Cranham and Isabella Pappas.

It was recently revealed that Shinlder would leave Red at the end of this year to launch a new drama shingle with ITV Studios.

No Return will be distributed internationally by StudioCanal.