ITV commiions new ree part drama series Black Work from Mammo Screen

ITV commissions new three part drama series Black Work from Mammoth Screen

Sheridan Smith (Cilla, The Widower, Mrs Biggs) stars as Jo Gillespie in riveting thriller Black Work, written by Matt Charman and produced by Mammoth Screen.

When Jo Gillespies husband Ryan, an undercover policeman, is shot dead in mysterious circumstances, she resolutely sets out to discover who murdered him.

Black Work is a compelling three-part story (x 60), which sees police officer Jo confront difficult truths about her family life and her marriage to Ryan.

Mother to 7-years-old Melly and stepson Hal, Jo is emotionally distraught and heavily conflicted as she unravels the last six months of her husband's life. She's grieving and wracked with guilt following an attachment to Ryan's colleague and fellow police officer Jack Clark, which puts further strain on her grieving family.

Working out of a lock-up on a shadowy case for which no police department will take responsibility, Ryan has been watching a man recently released from prison. But why? And under whose orders?

Writer Matt Charman shed light on his inspiration for the drama:

Sheridan Smith is a dream to write for because as an actress there's really nothing she can't do. And Black Work is a story that pushes her to the limit it makes her character, Jo Gillespie doubt herself, her family, her friends, everything she's always taken for granted in her search for her husbands killer.

Black Work has been commissioned for ITV by Director of Drama Commissioning Steve November and Controller of Drama Victoria Fea.

We're delighted to be working with Sheridan Smith again and with the hugely talented Matt Charman said Steve. Black Work is a high stakes drama which sees Jo risk everything in search of the truth. It's a risk she's prepared to take but it threatens to destroy both her family and career, he added.

Michael Samuels (Bafta winning Any Human Heart and The Fear) directs; Tom Mullens (New Tricks) produces.

Rebecca Keane and Damien Timmer executive produce for Mammoth Screen.

Filming will commence this autumn in Leeds.

Mammoth Screens shows include Endeavour for ITV, Parades End for BBC Two and Blandings and the forthcoming Poldark for BBC One.

Note to Editors:

After a tenancy as Writer in Residence at the National Theatre where three of his plays received world premieres, Matt Charman has quickly emerged as one of the UK's most sought-after screenwriters.

His original BBC One six-part series Our Zoo will air later this year, followed by the worldwide release of Suite Francaise, which he wrote with director Saul Dibb, and which stars Michelle Williams and Kristin Scott Thomas.

Charman is currently adapting his play The Machine which premiered at the Manchester International Festival and transferred to the Armory in New York, as a motion picture for Disney.

In September filming begins in New York on his as yet untitled Cold War thriller for DreamWorks. Starring Tom Hanks and Mark Rylance, it will be directed by Academy Award winner Steven Spielberg and is scheduled for release in October 2016.

LINK:	http://www.itv.com/presscentre/press-releases/itv-commissions-new-thre...
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