Line of Duty and Endeavour stars lead Delia Balmer true crime drama

BAFTA-winning actress Anna Maxwell Martin (Motherland, A Spy Among Friends) will lead in the titular role of Delia Balmer, while renowned actor and director Shaun Evans (Endeavour, Vigil) will play John Sweeney.

The series will premiere on ITV1 and ITVX, with a release date yet to be announced.

Based on Delia Balmer’s book, Living with a Serial Killer, the new ITV series is executive produced by multi-award winning World Productions CEO Simon Heath (Save Me, Line of Duty, Anne). World Productions is the company behind many fan favourite shows such as Line of Duty, Bodyguard and many more.

Delia Balmer narrates Delia's experiences with John Sweeney, and her journey through the police and criminal justice system as they attempt to prosecute him for his crimes.

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The new series will be written by Nick Stevens, who is responsible for writing the hugely successful The Pembrokeshire Murders. Speaking about Delia Balmer, he said: “A few months after reading Living with a Serial Killer, I had my first meeting with Delia Balmer. She was unlike anybody I'd ever met before.

"Still suffering from PTSD 10-plus years after John Sweeney’s conviction, Delia is, though she would never admit it, a hero. A survivor whose determination to pursue the good in life – to dance, to travel, to live – is ultimately greater than her demons.

"I am hugely grateful to Delia, and the police who worked with her to finally secure Sweeney’s conviction, for enabling us to tell Delia’s incredible story.”

As per the synopsis: "In 1991, Delia leads an itinerant and solitary life in London working as an agency nurse. When she meets fellow free-spirit John Sweeney in a local pub, it seems like the connection she has been searching for.

"As the relationship develops, Sweeney’s artistic, anti-establishment persona gives way to a darker side, culminating in a series of violent attacks on Delia, during which he tells her he killed his former girlfriend and disposed of her body in an Amsterdam canal.

"Sweeney is arrested but, due to a catastrophic failure by the court to realise how dangerous he is, granted bail. He immediately pursues Delia and subjects her to a horrific, near-fatal attack. She survives, but Sweeney evades capture and disappears."

It continues: "Shattered by the trauma and injuries inflicted by Sweeney, Delia bravely seeks to rebuild her life. But Sweeney returns seven years later and is arrested for the murder of another girlfriend in north London. Delia’s fragile recovery is shattered all over again as she has to face Sweeney in open court, her testimony vital to the prosecution case against him.

"This is the story of one woman’s astonishing will to survive through physical and emotional torment, despite the failings of the institutions which were meant to protect her."

Filming for Delia Balmer will commence this month (February 2023) and speaking about her new role in the drama, Martin said: “Telling an important story with the excellent team from World Productions, producer Ken Horn, director Julia Ford and a brilliant cast is always an exciting proposition! As it is brought to life by Nick Stevens, hopefully we will do Delia due diligence.”

Similarly, Evans commented: "I've previously worked with World Productions and ITV separately, so I'm looking forward to joining forces to tell this story. A story that is quite rightly told through the victim's lens, Delia. We have an excellent script from Nick Stevens and I couldn't be more delighted to work with Anna."

The series has been commissioned for ITV by Polly Hill. Drama commissioner Huw Kennair Jones will oversee its production, and speaking about the new series, he said: “Delia Balmer's story is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit when facing unimaginable evil.

"Nick Steven's scripts have brilliantly captured the fortitude of a truly remarkable woman and her journey to achieving justice and the obstacles she had to overcome. We're thrilled to be working with Nick, Simon Heath and World Productions again, the team behind The Pembrokeshire Murders, to bring this extraordinary story to the ITV1 and ITVX audience.”

Delia Balmer will premiere on ITV1 and ITVX. Looking for something else to watch? Visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide or take a look at the rest of our Drama coverage.

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