Channel 5 has released the first look at its upcoming thriller An Impossible Way to Die, a six-part murder mystery following two detectives investigating the deaths of four guests at a dinner party. The broadcaster has described the series as “gripping”.
Detectives Katie Salter and Niall Conway
The drama stars Sharon Rooney as DS Katie Salter, whose quiet local policing life is upended when she is thrust into a high-pressure murder investigation alongside DI Niall Conway, played by Emmett J. Scanlan. Described as a character-driven, unpredictable drama exploring identity, protection, power, and corruption, the story sees Salter “happily solving everyday crimes until fate drags her into an impossible murder mystery”.
According to the synopsis: “Four people sat around a table seemingly set for a dinner party – except they are all dead. The only clue is a scorpion crawling out of one of the victim's mouths.” It adds that Salter is “not your stereotypical damaged and tormented TV detective”, but rather smart, diligent, and committed to her family, with tensions surfacing when she is partnered with Conway, whose all-consuming dedication to the job clashes with her measured, grounded approach.
Cast and creative team
Rooney is best known for playing Rae Earl in My Mad Fat Diary and recently competed in The Celebrity Traitors. Scanlan is famed for portraying Paul O'Donnell in Paramount+ crime series MobLand, with other recent roles including A Working Man, Gangs of London, and How to Get to Heaven from Belfast.
They are joined by Lois Chimimba, known for Coldwater and Vigil, alongside Black Mirror's Jonny Lavelle and This Country's Ashley McGuire. The series has been penned by Death in Paradise's Jillian Mannion, alongside Ciara Conway, David Persiva, Robin Ganderton, and Rowena Johnson. Adam Wimpenny directs, with Clapperboard's Mike Benson and Myf Hopkins serving as executive producers and Amber Howorth as producer.
Release date
An Impossible Way to Die is scheduled to air on Channel 5 in 2027.
