ITV has commissioned contemporary detective drama, Ridley, starring Adrian Dunbar

Ridley is written and created by Paul Matthew Thompson, one of the lead writers of ITV’s iconic detective drama, Vera, and co-created by Jonathan Fisher (Blood, Hollington Drive, Penance), Managing Director of West Road Pictures.  Both will act as Executive Producers. Adrian Dunbar is best known for his role as Ted Hastings in Line of Duty.

ITV has provided a detailed synopsis:

The series will introduce us to charismatic Detective Inspector Alex Ridley, retiring from the police after years of dedicated service. After twenty-five years as a homicide copper, he has been nudged out of the job he loves. But the prospect of retirement is not a particularly welcome one as he’s been cut off in his prime.

His replacement is Acting DI Carol Farman, his former protégée whom he mentored for many years. When he’s enlisted by Carol as a police consultant on a complex and compelling murder case, the investigation takes a dark and unexpected turn. Turning to her old mentor for support, Carol is keen to access Ridley’s unique insight into crime-solving which has served them so well in the past.

With more intriguing cases to solve, Ridley will be enticed out of retirement into his former role, reviving his formidable and successful partnership with Carol. Inspired by real life retired detectives re-joining police forces in a consultancy role given increasingly over-stretched resources, the series will explore thought provoking crime stories in an original and distinctive way.

You can read more about this new series, which films in the autumn, in the ITV press release.