ITV reveals new Ant & Dec series, return of Vera, The Bay and Grace for winter and 2022
The star-studded line-up includes something for everyone.
ITV has revealed its line-up of programming for winter and early 2022, which consists of both new and returning dramas and a brand new project from legendary duo Ant and Dec, among many other projects.
Line of Duty fans are sure to find themselves drawn to Trigger Point, a new police thriller starring Vicky McClure and Adrian Lester as Metropolitan Police bomb disposal operatives, who previously served together in Afghanistan. When a series of terrorist attacks shake London to its core one summer, they will be charged with finding out who is responsible and putting a stop to the bloodshed. The six-part thriller also stars Kerry Godliman (After Life), Mark Stanley (Honour), Warren Brown (Luther) and Ralph Ineson (The Capture).
In 2022, another Line of Duty star migrates to ITV, as Martin Compston co-stars in four-part thriller Our House alongside Downton Abbey's Tuppence Middleton, with the duo set to play an estranged husband and wife. Fiona Lawson (Middleton) arrives home one day to find strangers moving into her home, prompting her to dig into the layers of her failed marriage and uncover some shocking revelations. The show will have a narrative split between flashbacks and the present day, while the cast also features Weruche Opia (I May Destroy You), Rupert Penry-Jones (The Drowning) and Buket Komur (Honour).
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Another drama to watch out for is No Return, the latest offering from Sheridan Smith, which takes place during a family holiday gone horribly wrong. Parents Kathy (Smith) and Martin (Michael Jibson) hope to unwind during a luxurious holiday to Turkey, but when their son, Noah (Louis Ashbourne Serkis) is arrested under mysterious circumstances, they'll be left desperately fighting for his freedom as the odds are stacked against them. Sian Brooke (Stephen), David Mumeni (Sliced) and Rufus Hound (Trollied) will appear in the four-part "event" series.
Gangs of London star Joe Cole leads a star-studded cast in The Ipcress File, an adaptation of the bestselling novel by Len Deighton. Set in the 1960s, this Cold War thriller sees British army sergeant Harry Palmer (Cole) attempt to make his fortune in Berlin, only to be thrown in a grim military jail in England when the law catches up to him. There, he is given the option of becoming a spy for British Intelligence in order to win back his freedom, with his first case being an investigation into the kidnapping of a British nuclear scientist. Lucy Boynton (The Politician), Tom Hollander (The Night Manager) and Ashley Thomas (Them).
On the returning drama front, viewers can expect The Bay to return for its third series on ITV, with COBRA's Marsha Thomason taking over for Morven Christie as new character DS Jenn Townsend, who will be thrown into the deep end after a body is found on her first day in the job. Tala Gouveia and Jason Watkins will reunite for a third run of detective drama McDonald & Dodds, with Outnumbered star Claire Skinner joining the cast as Chief Superintendent Ormond, while Alan Davies (Jonathan Creek), Catherine Tyldesley (Coronation Street) and Dame Siân Phillips (Keeping Faith) making guest appearances.
We'll be whisked away to South India once again for the fourth series of feel-good medical drama The Good Karma Hospital, which sees Amanda Redman, Neil Morrissey and Amrita Acharia back in the lead roles, with Harkhi Bhambra (Our Girl) and Rebecca Ablack (Ginny & Georgia) being new additions). John Simm and Richie Campbell return for three new films in Grace series two, based on the novels by Peter James, while there will also be more crime-solving from Vera as Brenda Blethyn finishes her eleventh series with another four feature-length episodes.
Robson Green and Tom Brittney will return as DI Geordie Keating and Reverend Will Davenport in a seventh series of Grantchester, which sees the unlikely duo solving more murder cases against the backdrop of summer 1959. If you're in the mood for something a little lighter – but still involving a surprise partnership – keep an eye out for the second series of Kate and Koji, which follows the friendship between a working class café owner and an asylum-seeking doctor.
ITV is also well known for its high-concept entertainment formats and that won't change in 2022, with the launch Ant & Dec's Limitless Win. The new game show gives contestants the chance to climb an endless money ladder by answering questions correctly, with the jackpot being limitless (as the title suggests). However, with every step they take they risk losing everything, which creates some agonising decisions and nail-bitingly dramatic moments. The comedy duo will also be bringing back their Saturday Night Takeaway in spring 2022.
Dancing On Ice will be back in the New Year with Corrie's Sally Dynevor, Love Island's Liberty Poole, Pussycat Dolls singer Kimberley Wyatt and Happy Mondays member Bez among the line-up. The Masked Singer will also be back in early 2022, with more celebrities disguising themselves with elaborate costumes as viewers at home attempt to figure out exactly who they are. Mo Gilligan, Davina McCall, Rita Ora and Jonathan Ross return to their detective chairs.
Million Pound Pawn will return for another series on ITV, along with Bradley and Barney Walsh: Breaking Dad, which will see the boys embark on a new trip spanning from the heat of the Mediterranean to the tundras of the Arctic Circle. That's not all for celebrity travelogues as we'll also see Martin Clunes: Islands of the Pacific, and Joanna Lumley's Secret Cities, the latter of which focuses on lesser known tourist sights in Rome, Paris and Berlin. We'll also return to the Florida home of comedy legend Billy Connolly for My Absolute Pleasure, which sees him look back on his favourite stand-up routines as he launches his autobiography.
Fans of Stars in Their Eyes might gel with ITV's latest entertainment format Starstruck, in which a members of the public will be transformed into their favourite musician for one night only. But rather than perform alone, they'll join a team of three people mimicking the same icon and compete against rival groups for a chance of winning £50,000. They'll have to impress a judging panel consisting of Sheridan Smith, Adam Lambert, Jason Manford and Beverly Knight, while Olly Murs will take on hosting duties.
Lee Mack will be the latest comedy name to try his hand at a quiz show, becoming the face of upcoming primetime series The 1% Club. Each episode begins with 100 contestants, each with a personal prize fund of £1,000. They will start off by answering an easy question that approximately 90 per cent of the general public would know, but as the show goes on the topics will get harder and people will be rapidly knocked out of the running – with their money going into a jackpot for those still in the competition (a la Squid Game). To take home the Prize Pot, the last remaining contestants will have to nail a question that only a mere 1% of people would know. Good luck!
Following up on his recent Doctor Who success, The John Bishop Show will see the titular jokester perform brand new sets and talk with celebrity guests, with a premiere date currently set for 2022. The comedian fronted another series of the same name on BBC One between 2013 and 2015, with this iteration seemingly taking a similar format. The BRIT Awards also return to ITV next year, with the ceremony set to air on Tuesday 8th February, with a new as-yet-unconfirmed host set to replace Jack Whitehall.
Kate Garraway will allow us into her personal life once more for another sensitive documentary special about her husband's struggle with COVID-19, which has left him in need of round-the-clock care. Following up on the story of NTA winner Finding Derek, sequel Caring for Derek (working title) will chronicle events between April and Christmas 2021. It will take a particularly close look at the challenges of relying on the social care system, with Kate confronting ministers about her own frontline experiences. As had previously been announced, she will also be taking over for Piers Morgan on the interview programme Life Stories, with three episodes planned for early 2022.
Few things are quite as reliable at drawing in viewers than adorable animals, so it's not surprising to see four-part series The Secret Life of Our Pets on ITV's line-up. Drawing on the latest science and cutting-edge camera technology, the show will examine the remarkable abilities that our pets have evolved to have, from incredible athleticism to heightened senses.
Finally, reality fans will have plenty to tuck into, as The Only Way is Essex and The Real Housewives of Jersey continue serving up juicy drama on ITVBe, while The Cabins and Killer Camp will both return to ITV2 following successful launches in the past year.
Check out our TV Guide to see what's on tonight.
Authors
David Craig is the Senior Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering the latest and greatest scripted drama and comedy across television and streaming. Previously, he worked at Starburst Magazine, presented The Winter King Podcast for ITVX and studied Journalism at the University of Sheffield.
