EXCLUSIVE: ITV has ordered a mystery thriller from Sophie Petzal, creator of breakout Irish drama Blood, and All3Media’s West Road Pictures.
The British broadcaster has commissioned four-part series Hollington Drive, which focuses on the lives of two sisters, Theresa, and her older head teacher sibling, Helen, and a missing child.
Both women appear close and their families enjoy spending time together. The series opens on a warm, balmy evening, barbecue sizzling on the patio, the perfect family setting. The atmosphere is chilled, as they lounge in Theresa and her partner Fraser’s perfectly manicured garden. Apart from Fraser’s brother Eddie winding everyone up, there’s hardly a hint of tension, but this is the calm before storm. When Theresa’s ten-year-old son, Ben, asks to play in the nearby park with his cousin Eva, the adults begin to niggle. Fraser is relaxed and is fine for them to go, but this doesn’t help Theresa’s fears of foreboding and growing feelings of anxiety. As expected the children don’t return on time, and Theresa goes in search. Her suspicions are heightened when she finds the children on the edge of a woodland area and they appear to be fighting. Immediately her instincts tell her something terrible has happened.
Later that evening distraught neighbour, Jean, calls on the family. Her ten-year-old son Alex has gone missing. In a plot thick with secrets, lies, twists and turns, Theresa can’t help thinking her son knows more than he is saying. Could Ben and his cousin Eva be implicated in Alex’s disappearance? Why are they both so subdued and now behaving out of character? The neighbourhood are compelled to help with the search for Alex, but what if he’s been murdered and her own son is his killer?
Petzal has been gaining attention for her work on Blood, which starred Line of Duty’s Adrian Dunbar and aired on Channel 5 in the UK, as well as stints writing on The Last Kingdom and Julia Stiles’ Riviera.
It is the latest order for West Road Pictures, which was set up by Managing Director and Executive Producer Jonathan Fisher with backing from All3Media. It is producing a second season of Blood for Ireland’s Virgin Media Television, UK’s Channel 5 and Acorn TV in the U.S., as well as psychological thriller Penance, written by Mr Selfridge’s Kate O’Riordan.
Hollington Drive will begin filming later this year with All3Media International selling internationally.
Hollington Drive was commissioned by ITV’s Head of Drama Polly Hill. She said, “I am delighted to be making Sophie’s brilliant script for ITV. It’s a beautifully written thriller that looks at maternal love and sisterly love, in a story that will compel and surprise the audience. I am also pleased to be working with Jonathan Fisher and our first ITV drama with West Road Pictures.”
Jonathan Fisher said, “I couldn’t be happier to be re-uniting with the brilliantly talented Sophie Petzal on this gripping family drama. Sophie has written a captivating script that I feel sure will have the viewers hooked. We’re very excited to be working with ITV on this series, and can’t wait to get started.”
Sophie Petzal added, “I am absolutely thrilled to be working with Jonathan Fisher and West Road Pictures once again to bring our project Hollington Drive to ITV. This is a tense, complex, darkly funny thriller following two sisters caught up in a toxic and deadly secret. We’re delighted to bring this story to ITV, and hope it will keep audiences gripped to their televisions.”
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