Written by Richard Cottan (Wallander, Hancock & Joan), the new four-part drama series chronicles the disintegration of a criminal mind.

The official synopsis reads: “Richie Beckett’s legacy is under threat when the family firm, now run by his two sons, faces ruthless new rivals. His sons need a peacemaker, but his erratic and increasingly extreme behaviour only inflames the situation. Can Richie and his family survive when his mind and world start imploding?”

The series is amongt a slate of new commissions for 2012-2013 by Channel 4 Chief Creative Officer Jay Hunt, including conspiracy drama Utopia and Guy Hibbert’s Complicit.

Feature-length one-off drama Complicit stars David Oyelowo (Spooks) as a British intelligence officer caught up in the moral complexities surrounding the use of torture in fighting the war on terror.

Hunt commented: “Channel 4 has never shied away from powerful, authored drama. With these new commissions we also have a wonderful range from the dark and menacing tone of The Fear to the comic warmth of Mad Fat Teenage Diary. All of these dramas are about backing great writers to say something truly distinctive.”

Do you like the sound of The Fear and Complicit? Let us know below…