ITV Studios has unveiled its London TV Screenings slate, with a Graham Norton-hosted reality show, two drama series from Ben Stephenson’s Poison Pen Studios, and a new drama series from Russell T. Davies among the headliners.

Among the star names attached are Dominic Cooper, Romola Garai, Mia Wasikowska, Alan Cumming, Abbie Cornish, Dougray Scott and Luke Evans.

Variety spoke to Tom Clark, executive VP global sales and commercial strategy, about the slate, which includes six new formats and 12 fresh dramas, as well as 21 returners among the dramas, and 34 non-scripted titles. Some 750 international buyers will be attending the slate presentation, titled “ITV Studios Festivals,” on Feb. 25 at Odeon Leicester Square, London.

“What we’re looking to do is to maintain an eclectic international offering for a global market,” Clark says. “So, as ever, we’ve gone for scale and breadth of the slate. We’ve got everything from contemporary relationship drama to cat-and-mouse crime to action thriller, all the way to a new survival format, glossy reality and cooking, and plenty in the natural history and non-scripted space.”

He adds, “All of that is brought together by the wonderfully talented in-house ITV Studios’ production companies, such as World Productions, Mammoth Screen, Plimsoll Productions, Poison Pen and Quay Street. But we’ve also bolstered the slate with a couple of third-party producers, which includes Various Artists and Helium Pictures.

“We have a slate which is rich with escapism and rich with entertainment. It’s all about being thrilling but also fun. We’re going for broad, cross-generational appeal, and we have intentionally invested in content which is travelable and appeals to streamers and broadcasters alike. Because we are, to all intents and purposes, agnostic. Our job is to find the best homes for the best content.”

‘The Neighbourhood’
The formats slate is filled with new reality shows such as “The Neighbourhood.”

“This has made a big splash, provoking lots and lots of curiosity, not least because it’s hosted by the BAFTA award-winning Graham Norton, and it’s produced by Lifted Entertainment and The Garden, who respectively brought us ‘I’m a Celebrity…,’ ‘Love Island’ and ‘Squid Game: The Challenge,’” Clark says.

“So ‘The Neighbourhood’ is a super fun reality format, which is where six households move into this charming, purpose-built community. They live side by side, but they are competing around the clock, 24/7, for this life-changing cash prize. So, each of the households must win challenges, but they’ve also got to stay popular enough that they survive, and if they’re voted out, then they have the disadvantage of a removal van coming to their homes and they get whisked away. So, it’s big entertainment right on the doorstep. It’s instantly relatable and authentic, and obviously Graham brings that star quality to the U.K. version.”

‘The Heat’
Next up is reality format “The Heat,” produced by Twofour. The show launches on Feb. 24 on ITV2.

“Again, there’s a lot of interest for the show already brewing from within Europe and the Americas, because it ticks a lot of boxes,” Clark says. “It’s set in a real restaurant in sun-drenched Barcelona where a group of young chefs battle it out under the supervision of a world-class Michelin chef. The chefs are working together during the day and they’re competing, but they’re also living together at night; so they’re working hard and they’re partying hard. And what that means, of course, is the kind of the stress and the ambition for winning the cooking contest meets the relationships and the night lives that go alongside of that. What you then see is the romances, the rivalries, the flirtations, the fallouts – they all make their way back into the kitchen in the daytime.

“It’s hosted by Olivia Attwood, and the U.K. version has chef Jean-Christophe Novelli as the boss, and what you’ve got is this high-end cooking and dating show all merging together. It’s very aspirational, very glossy and escapist.”

‘Apocalypse’
“Apocalypse” is produced by The Garden for Channel 4 and ITV Studios Australia for Foxtel Binge. It is described as a bold social experiment.

“It’s a survival show, but not as we know it. It’s really all about our collective curiosity about the end of the world. So the premise is that if the worst things happen, the fight for survival won’t be in the jungle or in the desert, it’ll be in the towns and cities where we live. So when it comes to it, can we survive the end of the world?” Clark asks.

“The idea is that 16 people will try their luck at doing just that. They must survive in an urban landscape for 28 days, where there’s no running water, there’s no heating, there’s no electricity, and of course, equally as important as the resources is, in fact, the interpersonal relationships that they form between them.

“It’s ordinary people trying to survive an extraordinary circumstance and doing extraordinary things to achieve that. So it’s a little different, it’s funny, it’s hopeful, and it’s a really good example of how these two labels have come together to create something spectacular.”

SCRIPTED SHOWS
‘Two Weeks in August’
The scripted slate is led by the forthcoming hot drama from the award-winning producers of “I May Destroy You,” “Two Weeks in August,” produced by Various Artists Limited for BBC, in association with ITV Studios. It is written and created by Catherine Shepherd.

“It’s a very gripping story about a group of friends who go on this fabulous two-week holiday to an idyllic Greek villa, but an impulsive kiss on the first night turns the vacation into something of a nightmare,” Clark says.

“That’s the log line, but the reality is, it’s much more about the central character, a lady called Zoe, who’s played by Jessica Raine. She is a people pleaser. She’s a devoted wife, a mother and a carer. She always puts everybody else first, but the story is really about what happens when she puts herself first and she acts on her deepest desires, and it creates this angry self-awakening with explosive consequences.

“So it’s really about marriage and friendships and secrets and betrayals and moral certainties that start to unravel when you challenge yourself.

“This is smart, darkly funny and very addictive. There are parties, boat trips and wildfires, and ultimately it ends up in a full-scale survival scenario.”

‘The Rapture’
The scripted slate also includes the psychological thriller “The Rapture,” which is adapted from Liz Jensen’s bestselling novel. It is produced by Mammoth Screen for BBC.

Clark sets out the story, “The teenager Bethany, who’s played by India Amarteifio, is convicted of the most heinous crime of all, murdering her own mum, and she’s placed onto a psychiatric ward. Meanwhile, a forensic psychologist Gabs, acted by Ruth Madeley, suffers from a life-changing spinal injury in a car accident, resulting in her becoming a wheelchair user. And these two characters meet as Gabs is assigned to Bethany’s case.”

Questions start to be raised: Did Bethany really kill her own mom? And if she didn’t, who did? And if so, why?

“There are other layers to the story. So, Bethany professes to see the future, and so there’s a question mark as to whether she is a manipulator, or whether there’s any truth to that. And there’s an ensuing cat-and-mouse drama that plays out between these wonderful two female leads. It’s also set against the backdrop of a climate emergency, and there’s a wider plot surrounding Bethany’s father and the connections between him and an oil company.

“There are cliffhangers at every turn. It’s very, very enthralling. It’s full of human stories, resilience, science and faith, and winning in the face of disability, in the case of Gabs.

“It’s bingeable. There’s a serialised urgency, but it’s also contemporary and deep.”

The cast also includes Sam Hazeldine, Jack Farthing, Iwan Rheon and Ruth Jones.

‘The Dark’
Also new is crime thriller “The Dark,” produced by Ben Stephenson’s Poison Pen Studios for ITV. It is based on G.R. Halliday’s hit series of Detective Inspector Monica Kennedy novels.

“’The Dark’ is a new crime franchise in the making. It’s an iconic cat-and-mouse crime thriller. It opens with a ritualistically staged murder of a young man who’s discovered in the remote Scottish Highlands. So you can imagine the scenery of this is utterly stunning.

“The killings that are then revealed are happening nightly. So there’s a real urgency and intensity as the detectives – Monica Kennedy, who’s played by Laura Donnelly, and her partner, who’s played by Mark Rowley, are on accelerated timings to catch the killer, all with the backdrop of these stunning crime scenes. So, you can see how this one has the legs to become a very long-standing franchise,” Clark says.

Also from Poison Pen Studios is “Adultery,” again for ITV, and penned by acclaimed screenwriter Danny Brocklehurst. It stars Dominic Cooper, best known for “Mamma Mia!,” and Romola Garai, who’s in the currently airing show “Betrayal,” which ITV Studios also has.

Clark says, “This is about when you meet someone, and you can’t deny the passion, and it’s even more messy when your children are dating each other. So, this is about when undeniable attraction catches you off guard, but also the enormous consequences of following that urge and that feeling, and the consequences of that for the families around you, however innocent your intent is.

“It’s beautifully acted, and very provocative and glossy. It’s also got that multi-generational storyline. So we think this one attracts a wider demo than the standard shows, and the pace makes it a real appointment to view.”

The series also stars Shelley Conn and Matthew McNulty.

‘The Killings at Parrish Station’
Also new to the scripted slate is “The Killings at Parrish Station,” from Helium Pictures for STAN in Australia, a series which sees cold case crime and thriller collide, with an all-star cast including Mia Wasikowska, Heather Mitchell, Xavier Samuel, Robert Taylor and Alan Dale.

“It’s a high-end event thriller, blending crime, conspiracy and horror, which follows a gruesome massacre of four scientists at a remote research station in 1987. These murders wrecked a lot of lives, and created a riddle as to how they came about. The story is set across two time zones: the initial murders in 1987, but then the same thing happens 37 years later. So, the same people try to figure out why that happened. It’s very novel. It’s unlike anything we’ve seen before. It’s dark, sometimes a little bit crazy, and there’s a shocking twist. It’s really captivating, and set in a very cinematic desert scenery.”

‘Tip Toe’
From the multi-award-winning screenwriter and producer Russell T. Davies, and the team behind hit series “It’s a Sin,” “Tip Toe,” from Quay Street Productions for Channel 4, is a new original drama which follows Leo and Clive who live next door to each other in Manchester. It stars Alan Cumming and David Morrissey.

Leo runs a bar on Canal Street, Clive’s an electrician, with two teenage sons. But just as life should be settling down, the world around them is growing more tense. Words become weapons, opinions become radicalized, and gradually, two neighbors become deadly enemies.

“It’s an urban thriller that is essentially a sequel to ‘It’s a Sin,’” Clark says. “The show is talking to some of the bigger issues in society, but done on a very specific and human level. I think Russell T. Davies naturally brings a levity and wit, but ultimately, it’s about real people with real feelings and concerns, around a very credible plot, which is about relationships and privilege and loyalty, and how those issues sit side by side.”

‘Invisible’
Also new to the slate is the action-packed drama series “Invisible,” from Scene 23 for M-Net, adapted by Amy Jephta from Deon Meyer’s novel “Blood Safari.” It stars Abbie Cornish, Dougray Scott and Tim Theron.

In South Africa’s Kruger National Park, a mysterious killer begins executing local poachers. As the body count rises, Inspector Jack Phatudi is drawn into a dangerous manhunt to unmask the vigilante. At the same time, Dekker – a former bodyguard with a haunted past – is hired to protect Emma, a South African expat who returns home to search for her brother who she believes is still alive, despite his disappearance 30 years ago. When Phatudi’s investigation collides with Emma and Dekker’s quest, they uncover a buried conspiracy reaching back to the political assassination of a pivotal African leader. As powerful forces close in, all three are forced to confront an explosive truth – one that could rewrite history, and that others will kill to keep hidden.

‘The Party’
“The Party,” from World Productions for ITV, is a smart, suspenseful thriller based on the bestselling novel by author Elizabeth Day, and starring Luke Evans as Martin Gilmour, a journalist shaped by his lifelong friendship with wealthy and charismatic politician Ben Fitzmaurice, played by Tom Cullen.

Raised alone by his working-class mom, Sylvia, portrayed by BAFTA award-winning Joanna Scanlan, Martin wins a scholarship to an elite boarding school, where he first meets Ben. They forge an unbreakable bond, as Ben and the Fitzmaurice family give Martin the sense of belonging he always craved. In turn, Martin remains unflinchingly loyal to Ben and his family through even the greatest crises.

Three decades on, Martin is invited to Ben’s lavish birthday party as news of the resignation of the leader of his political party threatens to accelerate Ben’s intention to stand and run for Prime Minister. But Martin fears the publicity that Ben’s bid would bring, dredging up the secrets of their past with tragic consequences.

The drama, written by and co-starring Sarah Solemani, with an ensemble cast also including Lydia Leonard, Douglas Hodge and Lindsay Duncan, moves between the shocking events of the party itself, and the police investigation that follows, with flashbacks to Martin and Ben’s past life at school, university and beyond.

What unfolds is a gripping exploration of identity, privilege and devotion.

NON-SCRIPTED SLATE
The non-scripted slate offers an exploration of the world around us with two landmark natural history series.

“Force of Nature,” from Plimsoll Productions for ITV and ARD in Germany, formerly entitled “Extreme Earth,” is a groundbreaking series filmed over three years, revealing how nature is fighting back against today’s extreme weather. Witness the scale and ferocity of nature’s most powerful forces – from hurricanes and flash floods to droughts and bushfires – and discover the ingenious ways nature endures, adapts and prevails against these new extremes.

Through the eyes of heroic animal characters, the series shows how the natural world is rising to the challenge.

Also on the slate is “Ages of Ice,” produced by Northern Pictures for PBS and ABC Australia, which follows the scientists pushing the boundaries of exploration and human endeavor in Earth’s coldest corners to understand the changes of ice and what this means for our planet’s future. In the unforgiving grip of our planet’s polar regions, the series will follow these modern-day explorers as they try to understand how the fate of every place and every creature on our planet is tied to these frozen extremes.

New to the slate is “AI Confidential,” from Curious Films for BBC, about the untold stories of AI and its potential impact on the modern world.

As the show’s presenter, broadcaster and mathematician Prof. Hannah Fry will meet the people whose lives have been impacted by this technology in huge ways – from falling in love with an AI chatbot, to life and death decisions made by robots, to the people whose lives have been upended by Silicon Valley corporations.

Taking a deep-dive into some of the most extraordinary human stories emerging from the world of AI, meeting key individuals whose lives have been transformed by this new technology for better or for worse, and investigating everything from “grief tech” to driverless cars, the new series will see Fry grapple with some of the most important questions of our time.

The slate also offers a new criminal history series, “Murder Map,” produced by Two Rivers and Soho Studios.

Star of “Line of Duty” and “Trigger Point,” Vicky McClure and husband Jonny Owen, a filmmaker and historian, travel the U.K. exploring historic, culturally significant crimes that have changed the face of modern Britain.

From unsolved murders, to miscarriages of justice or milestone cases that have changed the law, each episode features McClure and Owen doing a deep dive into each case speaking to victims’ families, experts, historians and police officers to investigate the lasting impact each murder has left on the community.

Also on the non-scripted slate is “Unbreakable: The Jelena Dokic Story,” from Roadshow Productions for Nine Network.

“Unbreakable” is not just a tennis story. It’s the story of Jelena Dokic’s survival, of her overcoming extraordinary odds, and of her ultimate triumph in the face of poverty, bullying and extreme brutality. It’s about how she survived as a refugee, twice. How she survived on the tennis court as she ascended to become world No.4. But most importantly, how she survived the abuse by Damir Dokic, her violent father and coach. It’s a story of growing up – never being alone, but always lonely. Ultimately, it’s the story of how the tennis world and a nation of fans chose to look away when Jelena needed them most.

And finally, hosted by the BAFTA award-winning television presenter Claudia Winkleman, is her new chat show “The Claudia Winkleman Show” from So Television for BBC.

From the production company behind the hugely successful and multi award-winning “The Graham Norton Show,” each episode will see Winkleman, who is best known for co-presenting “Strictly Come Dancing” and hosting “The Traitors” in the U.K., welcome the biggest names from the worlds of film, television, music and beyond to her sofa for lively conversation with the help of a studio audience.