First pics of UK drama Passenger

ITVX, BritBox International and Northern Sister have released first look images for Passenger starring Wunmi Mosaku (Loki, Damilola, Our Loved Boy, Lovecraft Country), David Threlfall (Shameless, Funny Woman) and Rowan Robinson (So Awkward).

To premiere in 2024 the six-part darkly comic thriller has been commissioned for ITVX by ITV’s Head of Drama, Polly Hill. BritBox International are co-production partners.

Written by debut screenwriter Andrew Buchan, who is best known for his acting roles on Broadchurch, The Honourable Woman and Better, Passenger explores a close-knit community who are unwilling to face their fears of change, of outsiders and of the unknown.

Set in the fictional small Northern town of Chadder Vale, Former Met Police Detective Riya Ajunwa (Wunmi Mosaku) investigates a series of strange and inexplicable crimes that have the townsfolk spinning on an axis.

Riya arrived in decaying Chadder Vale five years ago and has since been searching for that ‘one big crime’, the challenge that will make her feel alive again. Then one night local girl Katie Wells (Rowan Robinson) mysteriously disappears. The town barely has time to register her absence before she reappears the next day, apparently safe and sound. The townsfolk ask few questions and normal life resumes. But for Riya, a relative outsider to the Chadder Vale way of life, none of this sits right.

As a series of strange happenings and increasingly shocking crimes start unfolding within the town, the residents resort to short-sighted theories and blame outside influences such as the fracking site and its manager Jim Bracknell (David Threlfall). As things become stranger, so the people push back on Riya’s absurd notion that something is not right with this town. But what are they so afraid of?

Additional casting has also been announced today, with Jo Hartley (After Life, In My Skin) as Chief Constable Linda Markel, Sean Gilder (The Gold, Shameless) as Tony Corrigan and Debbie Rush (Coronation Street, Brassic) as forensic analyst Terry Jackson.

They join the already announced stella ensemble cast line up of Daniel Ryan (The Bay) as Derek Jackson, Barry Sloane (Six) as Eddie Wells, Natalie Gavin (Gentleman Jack) as Joanne Wells, Nico Mirallegro (My Mad Fat Diary, Rillington Place) as Kane Jackson, Hubert Hanowicz (This Is Going To Hurt) as Jakub Makowski, Jack James Ryan (Coronation Street) as John Trowbridge, Matilda Freeman (Alma’s Not Normal) as Lilly Wells, Shervin Alenabi (Baghdad In My Shadow) as Mehmet Shah, Ella Bruccoleri (Call The Midwife) as Ali Day and Arian Nik (The Bay) as Nish Chowdry.

Passenger is executive produced by Lucy Dyke (The Split, Eric) and Simon Maloney (Time, I May Destroy You) for Northern Sister, Jane Featherstone (This is Going to Hurt, Chernobyl) for Sister, Reemah Sakaan and Stephen Nye for BritBox International and commissioned for ITVX and ITV1 by ITV’s Head of Drama, Polly Hill. Andrew Buchan is creator, writer and associate producer for Northern Sister, part of Sister group. The series is produced by Sumrah Mohammed (The Split 3) and directed by Lee Haven-Jones (The Bay, The Feast) and Nicole Charles (The Following Events are Based on a Pack of Lies).

ITV’s Head of Drama, Polly Hill, will oversee production of the series from the channel’s perspective with Reemah Sakaan and Stephen Nye overseeing on behalf of BritBox International.