TV fans are in for a treat this autumn, as there are some gripping stories coming to ITV in the coming months.
From heartrending true-story dramas to high-octane thrillers set against idyllic rural backdrops, there's something for everyone on ITV's autumn slate.
As a huge Sheridan Smith fan, I'm most excited to watch I Fought the Law, which you can read more about below. The Gavin & Stacey star knows how to pick a compelling script, having led an impressive list of gripping dramas over the years, from Four Lives to The Moorside and Mrs Biggs, and if Sheridan's track record is anything to go by, this new series is guaranteed to be a hit.
Keep reading for all the shows we can't wait to see.
© ShutterstockI Fought the Law
Sheridan Smith stars in his heartbreaking, true-story drama about a mother's determination to repeal the notorious double jeopardy law and see her daughter's killer brought to justice.
Penned by screenwriter Jamie Crichton, known for his work on All Creatures Great and Small and Grantchester, the series recounts how "tenacious mother of three, Ann Ming, battled for 15 years so that her daughter's murderer could finally face justice, having been controversially acquitted following two mistrials", according to ITV.
The drama is based on the book, For the Love of Julie, written by Ming, who battled for 15 years after her daughter Julie, a mother to a three-year-old, Kevin, disappeared after a late shift at a local pizza parlour in November 1989.
When Julie's murderer was acquitted following two mistrials, Ming made it her mission to get justice and took on the Criminal Justice System, the Crown Prosecution Service, the Government and more.
I Fought the Law comes to ITV soon.
© Mark MainzCold Water
Andrew Lincoln returns to British TV screens for the first time in over a decade in this high-octane thriller, Cold Water.
The six-parter sees The Walking Dead star play full-time dad and middle-aged man John, whose failure to intervene in a violent confrontation in a playground prompts his family to relocate from London to the rural Scottish village of Coldwater.
Upon their arrival, John is quickly befriended by charming and confident next-door neighbour Tommy, a pillar in the community.
But John's wife, Fiona, who is a successful former chef hoping for a fresh start in Coldwater, becomes increasingly suspicious of her husband's relationship with Tommy, whom she's convinced is hiding something.
The synopsis continues: "But John remains blissfully unaware that Tommy is harbouring horrifying secrets, and it's only after a series of unsettling incidents start to occur that John begins to wonder who the real Tommy actually is."
When John's long-repressed rage at his life as a stay-at-home dad comes to a head with "disastrous results", he soon finds himself unexpectedly indebted to his new friend.
Ewen Bremner (Our Flag Means Death, Trainspotting), Indira Varma (Obsession, Obi-Wan Kenobi) and Eve Myles (Hijack, Keeping Faith) also star in the show, which is penned by David Ireland (The Lovers, Ulster American, Cyprus Avenue).
Cold Water comes to ITV this Autumn.
© ITVRidley
Adrian Dunbar (Line of Duty) plays Alex Ridley, a retired detective turned police consultant whose expertise are called upon by his former protégée, DI Carol Farman (Bronagh Waugh), to investigate complex and compelling murder cases.
In season one, Farman enlists Ridley's unique crime-solving skills after a murder case takes a dark and unexpected turn. Over the course of four episodes, the pair look into a series of mysteries, from the death of a local farmer to the shocking discovery of a young woman's body on a bleak Pennine moorland.
Season two will see the pair take on a "new slate of mysteries", investigating crimes "that will take them from the atmospheric British moors to the pulsating beats of an illegal rave," according to the synopsis.
It concludes: "Ridley must face formidable challenges as he works tirelessly to solve the most intricate and perplexing cases."
Ridley season two comes to ITV soon.
© ITVThe Hack
From award-winning writer Jack Thorne and the producers behind Mr Bates vs The Post Office comes The Hack, which delves into the story behind the phone hacking scandal.
David Tennant leads the star-studded cast as investigative journalist Nick Davies, alongside Toby Jones, who plays former Editor-in-Chief of The Guardian, Alan Rusbridger.
The synopsis reads: "Set between 2002 and 2012, the drama deftly interweaves two real life stories, the work of investigative journalist Nick Davies, played by David Tennant, who uncovered evidence of phone hacking at the News of the World, and running parallel, the story of the investigation into the unsolved murder of private investigator Daniel Morgan, led by former Met Police Detective Chief Superintendent Dave Cook, played by Robert Carlyle."
The cast also includes Vigil star Rose Leslie, Happy Valley's Katherine Kelly, The Crow Girl's Eve Myles and Crime star Dougray Scott.
The Hack airs on ITV in 2025.
