‘Ridley’: ITV Sets August Premiere Date For New Detective Drama Starring Adrian Dunbar

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ITV has set an August UK premiere date for ‘Ridley‘, a brand new detective drama starring ‘Line Of Duty’s Adrian Dunbar.

The series introduces us to charismatic Detective Inspector Alex Ridley (Dunbar), who is retiring from the police after years of dedicated service. After twenty-five years as a homicide copper, Ridley has been nudged out of the job he loves. But the prospect of retirement is not a particularly welcome one as he’s been cut off in his prime.

Ridley’s replacement is DI Carol Farman (Bronagh Waugh – ‘Unforgotten’, ‘Viewpoint’, ‘Des’) his former protégée whom Ridley mentored for many years. When he’s enlisted by Carol as a police consultant on a complex and compelling murder case, the investigation takes a dark and unexpected twist. Turning to her old mentor for support, Carol is keen to access Ridley’s unique insight into crime-solving which has served them so well in the past.

Inspired by real-life retired detectives re-joining police forces in a consultancy role given increasingly over-stretched resources, Ridley will explore thought-provoking crime stories in an original and distinctive way.

Alongside Dunbar and Waugh, the series stars Terence Maynard as DCI Paul Goodwin, George Bukhari as DC Darren Lakhan, Georgie Glen as Dr Wendy Newstone, Julie Graham as Annie Marling, Aidan McArdle as Michael Flannery, Bhavna Limbachia as Geri Farman, and Tareq Al-Jeddal as Jack Farman.

In the opening episode, a local farmer is found dead, and Ridley is called on by his ex-colleague and newly promoted DI Carol Farman to assist on a missing persons case that remains unsolved after 13 years. Ridley always suspected the investigation was flawed, and that the wrong man was tried for Hannah’s Lindsay’s abduction. As they delve deeper, they uncover another body, and a shocking secret.

The drama is written and created by Paul Matthew Thompson, one of the lead writers of ITV’s iconic detective drama, ‘Vera’, along with ‘Shakespeare and Hathaway – Private Investigators’, and the ‘Father Brown’ series. It’s co-created by Jonathan Fisher (‘Blood’, ‘Hollington Drive’, ‘Penance’), Managing Director of West Road Pictures, and both will act as Executive Producers.‘Ridley‘ was commissioned for ITV by Head of Drama, Polly Hill, with Drama Commissioner, Chloe Tucker overseeing production for the channel.

‘Ridley‘ Season 1 premieres Sunday, 28th August 2022 at 8pm on ITV.