Production has just got underway on The Red King, the latest original drama ordered by UKTV for its crime channel Alibi. 

The 6 x 60’ series is from seasoned writer Toby Whithouse and Nicola Shindler’s Quay Street Productions, and is supported by North East Screen. 

The executive producers are Shindler and Davina Earl for Quay Street Productions (part of ITV Studios), Philippa Collie Cousins for UKTV and writer Whithouse. The series is directed by Daniel O’Hara, who is also executive producer, and produced by Guy Hescott.  

Mohindra plays Grace Narayan, a clever, capable and by-the-book inner city police sergeant who is posted to the small, antiquated island of St. Jory. Confronted by the forgotten and unsolved case of missing teenage boy Cai, Grace quickly discovers that she must overcome scarce evidence, extraordinary local characters, and the island’s strange cult history to uncover the truth.

Anjli Mohindra , Adjoa Andoh and Marc Warren star with a supporting cast including Jill Halfpenny, Mark Lewis Jones, Oliver Ryan, Sam Swainsbury, Lu Corfield, James Bamford and Maeve Courtier-Lilley (cast photo above). 

Writer Whithouse said: “Working with Quay Street and UKTV has been a genuine joy. This has been a passion project for all of us. A genre bending mystery, combining drama, suspense and horror, starring some of the best actors in television. We’re so excited to share these characters and their stories with you.”

Davina Earl, Executive Producer, Quay Street Productions said: “The Red King has been such an exciting project to bring to the screen, working with the team at UKTV. Toby Whithouse has a wonderfully distinctive voice, and his scripts are deeply intriguing, darkly funny and truly scary. The cast are a stellar mix of some of our most well-known and beloved actors. Plus, we get to showcase the North East as we create this compelling and atmospheric drama, which, as a North Easterner, is incredibly rewarding.” 
 

UKTV’s previous original drama commissions include World Productions’ The Diplomat and Annika from Black Camel Pictures.