A slate of new television dramas and series across UK broadcasters promises a diverse range of storytelling poised to engage audiences this year.
ITV1 is set to air *The Blame*, a police procedural centered on Detective Inspector Emma Crane (Michelle Keegan). Tasked with investigating the murder of a 16-year-old figure skater, Emma delves into a complex case that exposes a troubling culture of misogyny and abuse within her own police force. The show’s producer has likened it to *Happy Valley*, citing its multifaceted central female character. Another ITV1 drama, *Adultery*, written by Danny Brocklehurst, explores the fallout when two married parents, played by Dominic Cooper and Romola Garai, navigate the risks and consequences of an extramarital affair against the backdrop of their teenage children’s budding relationship.
BBC One will return with the fourth season of *Blue Lights*, set in Belfast. The series follows police officers Grace (Siân Brooke), Stevie (Martin McCann), and Annie (Katherine Devlin) as they navigate the demands of their work three years in. Notably, Richard Dormer reprises his role as Gerry, a character whose apparent death in the first season left viewers shocked. BBC One also debuts *The Split Up*, a spin-off of *The Split*, focusing on the Kishan family’s legal practice. The narrative centers on Dhruv Kishan (Sanjeev Bhaskar), a retiring patriarch, and his daughter Aria (Ritu Arya), who faces challenges both professionally and personally.
New additions to the BBC One lineup include *The Reluctant Vampire*, a comedy based on Eric Morecambe’s early 1980s stories, starring Lenny Rush as Val, a boy raised in a traditional vampire family who discovers he is not actually undead. Another anticipated show is *The Witch Farm*, adapted from Danny Robins’ BBC podcast, which dramatizes a paranormal cold case set in late-1980s South Wales involving strange occurrences at a farmhouse inhabited by Bill and Liz (Gabrielle Creevy and Michael Socha).
Channel 4 is introducing several series this cycle. *Number 10*, created by Steven Moffatt, offers a behind-the-scenes look at Downing Street’s inner workings, featuring Rafe Spall as the prime minister and Katherine Kelly and Jenna Coleman as senior advisors. *Pierre*, starring David Harewood, follows a duty solicitor investigating the suspicious death of a young black man, uncovering systemic corruption in the process. Additionally, *Maya* stars Bella Ramsey and Daisy Haggard, who also co-wrote the show, as a mother and daughter thrust into witness protection while being hunted by assassins. The *I Am Helen* episode, part of Dominic Savage’s long-running anthology, features Nicola Coughlan depicting a woman grappling with her partner’s immersion in toxic masculinity and associated pressures on their relationship.
BBC One’s *Time* returns with Jimmy McGovern’s prison drama. Siobhan Finneran resumes her role as Marie-Louise, a prison chaplain now assigned to a young offenders’ institution, where she encounters prison officer Bobby Bailey (David Tennant). The story examines the strains within the institution following a tragic incident.
Finally, *The Celebrity Traitors* is set to return to BBC One for its second series, with contestants such as Miranda Hart, Ross Kemp, Richard E Grant, Maya Jama, and Michael Sheen competing in the reality competition that captivated viewers last year, culminating in Alan Carr’s narrow victory.
These upcoming series highlight a range of genres, from crime thrillers and dramas to dark comedy and supernatural tales, reflecting a vibrant and diverse UK television landscape.