Filming has started on ITV, Mammoth Screen and BritBox drama Code of Silence.
The six-part crime drama is written by Catherine Moulton (Baptiste, Then You Run, Hijack), who drew on her own experiences with lip-reading and hearing loss to create the series.
Code of Silence offers a “fresh and distinctive perspective on the intersection of crime and communication delivering a gripping and emotional narrative that brings important representation for the Deaf community, together with the support of a diverse cast and crew from the deaf, disabled, and neurodiverse communities.”
Lead director is Diarmuid Goggins (Kin, Black Cab, Witness No. 3).
Rose Ayling-Ellis has the lead role. The cast includes Kieron Moore (Vampire Academy, Masters of the Air, The Corps) who plays suspect Liam Bayne, Charlotte Ritchie (Ghosts, You) as DS Ashleigh Francis, and Andrew Buchan (Broadchurch, The Honourable Woman) as DI James Marsh.
The cast also includes Nathan Armarkwei Laryea (The Witcher), Joe Absolom (Doc Martin, A Confession), Beth Goddard (The Serpent Queen, Manhunt), Andrew Scarborough (Emmerdale, Wolfblood), presenter Rolf Choutan who is making his acting debut, and Fifi Garfield (Coffee Morning Club, Deaf Funny).
Code of Silence is told through the point of view of Alison Brooks (Rose Ayling-Ellis), a Deaf canteen worker. Alison is struggling to make ends meet, juggling two jobs, one in a police canteen and another in a local bar, while also doing her best to support her Deaf mum, Julie (Fifi Garfield). It’s not long before Alison is pulled into a high-stakes police investigation when DS Ashleigh Francis (Charlotte Ritchie) asks that she use her lip-reading skills to monitor a dangerous criminal gang. As her interpretation of their covert conversations becomes central to the investigation, Alison is plunged into an exhilarating new world. Her role quickly becomes key to unlocking the police case, but her feelings become complicated when she finds herself drawn to one of the suspects, Liam Bayne (Kieron Moore). Despite knowing the risks and the growing threat to her personal life, Alison can’t let go.
ITV’s Director of Drama, Polly Hill, will oversee production of the series from the channel’s perspective. Bryony Arnold and Damien Timmer executive produce for Mammoth Screen, with Robert Schildhouse and Stephen Nye executive producing for BritBox, alongside Rose Ayling-Ellis and Catherine Moulton. Chanya Button (Dr Who, World on Fire, Vita & Virginia) directs the latter half of the series, with writers Will Truefitt and Benji Walters respectively writing episodes 3 & 4.
Code of Silence will premiere on ITV1 and be available for streaming on ITVX. The series will premiere on BritBox in the US and Canada in 2025. The drama will be distributed internationally by ITV Studios.
Rose Ayling-Ellis image credit: Yellowbelly
Jon Creamer
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