ITV’s Director of Drama, Polly Hill, and Drama Commissioner Huw Kennair-Jones have commissioned suspenseful, compulsive thriller, The Only Suspect, starring Kevin McKidd (Grey’s Anatomy, Highlander), adapted by Simon Ashdown (Our House, Trigger Point, Funland) from the original novel by Louise Candlish and produced by Red Planet Pictures, a Fremantle company.
Set in a leafy London suburb, The Only Suspect follows Alex and Beth, a devoted couple whose picture-perfect suburban life hides a devastating truth.
Moving between the present day and mid-90s Camden - at the height of Cool Britannia - the story opens during the sweltering summer of 1995, when a young man buries a body during a violent storm. Who the victim is, and why they were killed, is a mystery that tantalisingly threads through the narrative as past and present collide.
Thirty years later, another heatwave grips a very different world. The abandoned railway track where the body was hidden - running behind Alex and Beth’s street - is being transformed into a nature trail, spearheaded by Beth herself. What is a triumph for the neighbourhood instead threatens catastrophe for Alex.
Because Alex is the young man who buried the body.
Having spent decades living under an assumed name, Alex now faces the unravelling of everything he has built. As diggers prepare to break ground on the very spot where his secret lies, his carefully constructed life spirals - and he must decide how far he is willing to go to keep the truth buried.
A gripping, twisting thriller, The Only Suspect explores obsession, deception, betrayal, the consequences of the recklessness of youth and secrets that refuse to stay hidden.
Based on the novel by bestselling author Louise Candlish, Simon Ashdown’s script is packed full of Candlish’s trademark whiplash plot twists and turns that keep viewers enthralled, delivering an intoxicating blend of emotional punch and edge-of-your-seat tension, highlighting two starkly contrasting eras.
Commented Kevin McKidd:
“Working with ITV on The Only Suspect feels like coming home for me. As an actor, the complex and multilayered role of Alex is exciting to explore and I can’t wait to collaborate with Farren, the whole team at Red Planet Pictures and an amazing ensemble of great British actors.”
Commented Huw Kennair-Jones:
“Once again, Simon Ashdown has woven a thrilling story from Louise Candlish's bestselling novel that will keep the audience on the edge of their seats. 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.”
The four-part drama will be executive produced by Belinda Campbell and Tom Mullens on behalf of Red Planet Pictures.
Commented Tom Mullens for Red Planet Pictures:
“The Only Suspect is another riveting thriller from the prolific pen of Louise Candlish and after the success of Our House, we’re excited to be working with Simon Ashdown and ITV once again. We’re also thrilled to have Kevin McKidd leading a brilliant cast and Farren Blackburn on board as director to bring this twisting tale of a man trying to escape his past, to life.”
Red Planet Pictures was also behind the hit drama Our House, adapted from Louise Candlish’s novel. The series aired on ITV in 2022 and starred Tuppence Middleton, Martin Compston, Rupert Penry-Jones, Weruche Opia, and Buket Komar. The series was one of the biggest drama launches of the year with 6.3 million viewers on consolidation after 7 days viewing.
The Only Suspect is written by Simon Ashdown and executively produced by Belinda Campbell and Tom Mullens for Red Planet Pictures and Polly Hill and Huw Kennair-Jones for ITV.
The series is directed by Farren Blackburn and produced by Sumrah Mohammed. Simon Ashdown and Farren Blackburn also serve as executive producers.
The series will be distributed internationally by Fremantle.
Filming will begin in London this Spring.
Louise Candlish is repped by Luke Speed at Insight Management on behalf of Curtis Brown Group. The Only Suspect is published by Simon & Schuster (UK); literary agent Sheila Crowley at Curtis Brown.