Drama

Alibi commissions first original drama Traces

Writer Amelia Bullmore (Credit: UKTV)

Set in Scotland, Traces follows three female forensic professionals, Emma Hedges, Sarah Gordon and Kathy Torrance, as they uncover the truth of a murder case and bring a killer to justice.

Working in the Scottish Institute of Forensic Science (SIFA), Emma Hedges signs up for a forensic science course but finds her educational case study has a shocking link to her past.

Guided by professors Sarah Gordon and Kathy Torrance, 23-year old Emma’s investigations lead her to the dark truth and ultimately unveils a killer.

4 Blocks creators spill the secrets on making drama

4 Blocks (Credit: TNT Serie/Turner)

Since its debut in 2017, Berlin gangster series 4 Blocks has been pocketing awards and thrilling audiences. The TNT Serie drama has also shaken up the sometimes cosy world of German television.

4 Blocks tells the story of the Hamady crime family, which is engaged in a bloody fight with the rival al-Saafi clan for control of the drug trade in the Neukölln district of the city.

At an early-evening screening in central London at the end of January, the RTS – in partnership with TNT Serie and Turner – celebrated the release of the show’s second season.

ITV commissions adaptation of Belgravia

The Napoleonic Wars

The six-part series will be set in London during the climax of the Napoleonic Wars and will follow the dark secrets of upper-class households.

During the evening of the Battle of Waterloo, the Trenchards accept an invitation to an extravagant ball hosted by the Duchess of Richmond, triggering a sequence of events that lead to secrets being unravelled and devastating consequences for decades to come.

Julian Fellowes will adapt the novel alongside Downton Abbey producers Gareth Neame, Nigel Marchant and Liz Trubridge.

TV picks of the week: 4 - 10 February

Teachers Training to Kill

Monday: Channel 4, 9.00pm

Teachers Training to Kill is a one-off documentary that explores gun control in America and the disturbing amount of mass shootings taking place in US schools.

The documentary follows a group of teachers from Faster, a controversial summer school where teachers are trained to operate guns and potentially shoot to kill.

Netflix announces adaptation of The Stranger

Richard Armitage as John Porter in Strike Back (Credit: Sky)

The eight part thriller follows Adam Price (Richard Armitage), a happily married man who is shocked to discover that his wife Corinne has kept a dark secret.

Adam does his best to hide the devastating secret but ends up tangled in a wider conspiracy which could put lives in danger.

The Stranger was one of my most challenging novels — and definitely the most twisted,” said Harlan Coben, who will be an executive producer on the series.

“When I wrote it, I never imagined that I’d be part of a ‘Dream Team’ of extraordinary talent bringing it to life.”

TV Picks of the Week: 21 - 27 January

A Year of British Murder

Monday: Channel 4, 9.00pm

Filmed over one year, A Year of British Murder is a harrowing documentary that addresses the hundreds of people killed in Britain during 2017.

The programme follows the grieving families of selected cases, including the parents of 15-year-old Quamari Barnes who was stabbed to death just outside his school in London; his killer was the same age.

Robert James-Collier and Charlie Hardwick join Ackley Bridge

Robert James-Collier and Charlie Hardwick (Credit: Channel 4)

Having recently been taken over by the Valley Trust, new deputy head teacher Martin Evershed (Robert James-Collier) and director of behaviour Sue Carp (Charlie Hardwick) are called in to put the school to rights.

Ackley Bridge’s upcoming third season will also see Jo Joyner return as headteacher Mandy Carter, along with Poppy Lee Friar and Amy-Leigh Hickman who play school friends Missy and Nasreen.

 “I am thrilled to be asked to play the part of Martin Evershed, the new Deputy Head at Ackley Bridge,” said Robert James-Collier on his new role.

TV Picks of the week: 14 - 20 January

Cold Feet

Monday: ITV, 9.00pm

ITV’s dramedy series Cold Feet, starring James Nesbitt, Fay Ripely, John Thomson, Robert Bathurst and Hermione Norris, promises dramatic developments for its eighth series, with a wedding possibly on the cards.

Set in Manchester, the series follows a group of middle aged friends as they struggle with parenthood, major life changes and a shifting society. Adam (Nesbitt) finds himself reassessing his habit of flirting with much younger women, while Karen (Norris) and David (Bathurst) try to support their unhappy son Josh.