Channel 4 has announced ‘In Flight‘, a new crime thriller produced by Buccaneer (Marcella, Crime, The Burning Girls), written and co-created by Mike Walden (Marcella, Whitstable Pearl) and Adam Randall (Slow Horses, iBoy) and starring Katherine Kelly Mr Bates vs the Post Office, The Long Shadow).
Jo Conran (Kelly) is a single mum working as a flight attendant. Her son is serving a fifteen-year sentence in a Bulgarian prison for a murder he swears he did not commit. Jo is approached by a gang who knows all about her son and is blackmailed into using her job to smuggle drugs. She soon finds herself pulled into a murky underworld of corrupt cops and hired killers, forced to carry out their orders with no escape in sight. However, no matter how far Jo finds herself from her old life, her mission remains the same, to keep her son alive.
“I am really excited to be taking on the role of Jo and I can’t wait to tell her compelling story,” said Kelly. “I am delighted to be working with Buccaneer Media again and it’s joy to be filming in Belfast.”
‘In Flight’ is set against the fast-paced, high-pressure world of global air travel and will follow Jo’s relentless quest to protect her family while entangled in a dangerous criminal syndicate.
Joining the ensemble cast are Stuart Martin (Miss Scarlet and The Duke) as Cormac, a key member of the criminal gang; and Ashley Thomas (aka rapper “Bashy”, ‘Top Boy’) as Dom, a customs officer at a major London airport, plus Bronagh Waugh (Hollyoaks, Ridley) as Melanie, Harry Cadby (Inside Man, Red Rose) as Sonny, Corinna Brown (Heartstopper) as Kayla and Ambreen Razia (The Curse, Ted Lasso) as Zara.
Set across dynamic global locations including Bangkok, Bulgaria, Istanbul and London, filming has begun in Belfast with funding support from Northern Ireland Screen. ‘In Flight’ is written and co-created by Mike Walden (Marcella, Whitstable Pearl) and Adam Randall (Slow Horses, iBoy), and directed by Chris Baugh (Wreck, Tin Star).
“In Flight is our spin on the noir genre, a high stakes, stylish, romantic thriller with iconic characters and nerve-shredding action,” commented writers Mike Walden and Adam Randall. “Channel 4 is the perfect home for our story and we’re so excited to be collaborating with such a brilliant team. Jo is a character close to our hearts. She is an ordinary woman facing extraordinary odds. We can’t wait for audiences to meet her.”
In Flight is produced by Buccaneer Media and has been acquired for Channel 4 by Polly Scates, Head of Acquisitions. Executive Producers are Anna Burns, Tony Wood and Richard Tulk-Hart for Buccaneer, Rebecca Dundon and Simon Judd for Fremantle, Mike Walden, Adam Randall and Chris Baugh. Producer is Brendan Mullin. Gary Davy is Casting Director.
Rebecca Dundon, Executive Producer at Fremantle said, “In Flight is a surprising, propulsive standout – a high-stakes action crime thriller that combines the intensity of international drug smuggling with the emotional depth of a mother’s relentless quest to save her son. Set against the high-pressure world of global travel, this series offers a fresh, commercially powerful mix of suspense, sacrifice, and gripping drama. I couldn’t put the script down, and audiences everywhere will feel the same.”
ProSieben have pre-bought the series for Germany along with SBS for Australia and TVNZ for New Zealand. Fremantle is handling global sales.
‘In Flight‘ does not yet have a premiere date but will air on Channel 4 in the UK. If you want to keep track of this or any other show, you can add them via our Never Miss system, and you’ll be notified when it gets a UK premiere date.
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