ITV keeps quiet with Code of Silence

FIRST LOOK: Rose Ayling-Ellis, Charlotte Ritchie and Andrew Buchan star in Code of Silence, a six-part crime thriller coming to ITV and STV this May.

Ayling-Ellis plays Alison Brooks, a smart and determined Deaf woman. Having spent years working in a police canteen and secretly observing conversations, her life takes an unexpected turn when her exceptional lip-reading skills catch the attention of DS Ashleigh Francis (Ritchie) and DI James Marsh (Buchan). Recruited for a covert operation, Alison is tasked with surveilling a dangerous gang as they plot a high-stakes heist, thrusting her into a world of crime, deception, and risk like never before.

As she deciphers their secret exchanges, Alison becomes an invaluable asset to the case, but the deeper she gets, the more perilous her role becomes. When she crosses paths with Liam Barlow (Kieron Moore), the gang’s newest recruit, an unexpected and dangerous bond forms between them, one that threatens to expose her true identity while pulling her further into the criminal world.

Juggling the pressures of undercover work, family struggles, and the fallout of a long-term relationship, Alison must navigate a world of deception and danger, testing her resilience and ultimately reshaping her life forever.

The series is created by Catherine Moulton (Baptiste, Hijack), who drew on her own experiences with lip-reading and hearing loss to offer a fresh and distinctive perspective on the intersection of crime and communication and deliver 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.

Produced by Joseph Shrubb (Endeavour, McDonald & Dodds), the cast also includes Nathan Armarkwei Laryea, Joe Absolom, Beth Goddard, Andrew Scarborough, Rolf Choutan, Fifi Garfield and a cameo appearance by actor, comedian and presenter John Bishop.

The series is directed by Diarmuid Goggins (Kin, Black Cab, Witness No 3), who directs episodes 1-3. Chanya Button (Doctor Who, World on Fire, Vita & Virginia) directs the latter half of the series, with writers Will Truefitt and Benji Walters penning episodes three and four.

Code of Silence is executive produced by Bryony Arnold and Damien Timmer for Mammoth Screen, alongside Robert Schildhouse and Stephen Nye for BritBox, as well as Ayling-Ellis and Moulton. ITV Studios is handling distribution.

Code of Silence will launch on ITV1, STV, ITVX and STV Player on Sunday, May 18, and on BritBox in the US and Canada later this year.

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