ITV Studios is taking an ambitious mix of lunar suspense, political workplace drama and high-profile crime series to Mipcom, with “First Woman” leading a slate that also features Steven Moffat’s “Number 10,” Richard Armitage vehicle “Winter” and Luke Evans thriller “The Party.”
Luke Evans, Richard Armitage, Adrian Dunbar, Lauren Lyle and Moffat are among the talent heading to Cannes for the distributor’s showcase. The lineup combines new launches with returning titles including “Line of Duty,” “Vigil,” “Karen Pirie” and “Ludwig,” while all four original seasons of “Sherlock” have joined the ITV Studios sales catalog.
“First Woman” Leads the New Launches
One of ITV Studios’ biggest bets is “First Woman,” a psychological thriller about a female astronaut who mysteriously disappears on the Moon. Andrea Riseborough, Ashley Walters, Alex Hassell and Jennifer Ehle star in the series, produced by Mammoth Screen and Alcon Entertainment in co-production with ZDF.
Julie Meldal-Johnsen, ITV Studios’ executive vice president of global content and content strategy, described “First Woman” as one of the company’s largest investments in years and one of ITV’s highest-budget series. She also credited Alcon Entertainment as an essential financial and creative partner on the project.
“It is new, and people do say that buyers are risk averse, but if a show is really good and really engaging and has got a hook and is executed brilliantly, the buyers out there are not running scared from that — from what we can see,” she said.
The new slate also includes “Number 10,” a witty workplace drama set inside one of the world’s most famous addresses. Moffat, the Emmy-winning “Sherlock” writer and a BAFTA winner for “Doctor Who,” is bringing the Hartswood Films production to the showcase. Its ensemble includes Rafe Spall, Jenna Coleman and Katherine Kelly.
Meldal-Johnsen praised the project’s scripts as “sharp, witty, pacey,” adding: “I think U.K. and global audiences are in for a real treat, and that’s not just sales spin.”
Armitage leads “Winter,” Eagle Eye Drama’s procedural based on the French drama “Balthazar.” Set in Bristol, the series follows an unconventional and highly skilled forensic pathologist who works with the local police force on a different case each week.
Alongside those self-contained investigations, the show carries a serialized emotional storyline in which Armitage’s character searches for the person who murdered the woman he loved. Meldal-Johnsen characterized the series as a combination of mystery, police procedural and character drama.
World Productions’ “The Party,” meanwhile, is an adaptation of Elizabeth Day’s bestselling novel. The suspense drama will launch on ITV on Oct. 11 and stars Evans alongside Tom Cullen. Sarah Solemani co-stars and writes the scripts. Evans’ credits include “Nine Perfect Strangers,” “Murder Mystery” and “The Pembrokeshire Murders.”
Major Crime Dramas Return
ITV Studios is also presenting the seventh season of “Line of Duty,” identified as the most-watched U.K. television drama of the 21st century. Martin Compston, Vicky McClure and Adrian Dunbar will reunite for the new season, with Robert Carlyle joining the cast.
“Vigil” will return for a third installment, taking its story to the Arctic Circle. Suranne Jones and Rose Leslie star in the thriller.
Lauren Lyle is back at the center of “Karen Pirie,” the cold-case detective drama adapted from crime writer Val McDermid’s bestselling novel series. Lyle’s other credits include “Outlander” and “Vigil.”
Also on the slate is the third season of “Ludwig,” the Big Talk Studios detective drama starring David Mitchell and Anna Maxwell Martin. The International Emmy Award-winning series follows a gifted puzzle setter adjusting to work as a police consultant.
“Ludwig” has been described as its U.K. broadcaster’s biggest scripted launch of 2026 to date, with the first episode of Season 2 drawing 9.1 million viewers. Meldal-Johnsen said the drama’s combination of humor, warmth, individual mysteries and a continuing storyline has given it wide appeal in the U.K. and internationally.
“Sherlock” Joins the Sales Catalog
ITV Studios has also added all four original seasons of Hartswood Films’ “Sherlock,” which ran from 2010 to 2017, to its sales catalog. Created by Moffat and Mark Gatiss, the Arthur Conan Doyle reimagining stars BAFTA winners Benedict Cumberbatch, Martin Freeman and Andrew Scott.
Tom Clark, ITV Studios’ executive vice president of global sales and commercial strategy, positioned “First Woman” as the anchor of the company’s Mipcom offering while highlighting its depth in crime and thrillers.
“When it comes to crime and thrillers, I believe we have one of, if not the best lineup of any studio,” Clark said, pointing to “The Party” and “Winter” alongside returning dramas “Line of Duty” and “Vigil.”