ITV has confirmed the drama that will replace Michelle Keegan's police series The Blame, which concludes on Monday, 5 October. The six-part series, starring the former Coronation Street actress as DI Emma Crane, follows her investigation into systemic corruption and misogyny in the police force after the death of a teenage girl.
The Blame's final episodes
The Blame began airing weeks ago and has been shown on Sunday and Monday evenings. ITV previously teased the synopsis: "The drama dives into secrets, suspicion and systemic corruption - all under the surface of this seemingly quiet town. The series begins when the body of teenage figure skater Sophie Madsen is discovered, sending shockwaves through the town of Wakestead."
"As DI Crane and DI Radley dig deeper, what starts as a tragic death, spirals into a tangled web of lies, institutional cover-ups, and moral compromise. As the clock ticks and trust fractures, Crane must navigate both a murder investigation and the treacherous politics inside her own team."
The Party takes over the slot
ITV has now confirmed that The Party, based on Elizabeth Day's bestselling novel, will take over the slot from Sunday, 11 October, at 9pm. The series stars Luke Evans and Tom Cullen and follows Martin, who was raised by a single mum from a working-class background, gaining a scholarship to an elite boarding school, where he first meets Ben.
The pair forge an unbreakable bond, with Martin winning the sense of belonging he always wanted through Ben's family, and remaining loyal to them throughout the biggest crises. However, three decades later, fears of past secrets emerging are brought to the forefront when Ben's political career could be reaching its climax.
Author's reaction to the adaptation
The synopsis reveals: "The drama moves between the shocking events of the party and the police investigation that follows, with flashbacks to Martin and Ben's lives at school, university and London party days. What unfolds is a gripping exploration of identity, privilege and devotion, combined with a tender ode to anyone who has fought to live authentically."
Author and podcast host Elizabeth Day previously spoke about the adaptation, saying she was "cautiously thrilled" when ITV picked it up. She admitted: "I say cautious because any author will know that you can get close with TV options, but then they never go anywhere. Getting anything actually made and actually over the line in TV is such an exercise in a series of impossibilities that I deliberately didn't allow myself to get carried away."
"But it was World Productions, and I love the TV that they make. Like everyone else, I was obsessed with Line of Duty, which they produce, and so I was just pinching myself that it was that production company which wanted to make it." She added: "Then to learn that they'd come across the book through Hollywood superstar Luke Evans was amazing. I heard he had read The Party during the pandemic."
"He had been drawn to the role of Martin because he felt that it spoke to him. It reminded him of his own experiences of childhood. He grew up a Jehovah's Witness and always felt like an outsider. He related to Martin on that front, and so it felt almost too good to be true. And now that it's actually happening, it's incredible!"
She added: "The first thing I hope is that the audience are wildly entertained, that they are thrilled and on the edge of their seat, and that they enjoy the twisty, turny, thrillery aspects. I'd also like people to question what they're being told, who they're electing and why."
"I also hope what they take away is a feeling that outsidership can be enormously powerful, but you mustn't ever turn it inward and feel an outsider in your own skin. Self-acceptance is the most powerful thing of all." The Blame is available to watch on ITVX.
