ITV Highlights March 2023, The Dry, Six Four and The Social Media Murders

ITV have unveiled their monthly highlights for March and new series include Bali 2002, comedy The Dry, a new series of Social Media Murders and crime thriller Six Four.

Social Media Murders Series Two: Episodes 1&2 (ITVX 2nd March)

The victim is front and centre in all four of this season’s films, which also incorporate social media posts and videos.

In the premiere episode, “The Murder of Ashley Wadsworth,” a young Mormon girl falls in love with a British male she met on the internet and travels halfway around the world to finally meet him. Eight weeks after moving to Essex, however, she is found dead.

The second episode deals with Mikey Rainsford‘s murder. A young skateboarder with a large online following is brutally killed in his own apartment. After investigating, police in Merseyside realised Snapchat might be essential in identifying his murderers.

Everybody Hates Chris (2005-2009) (ITVX 2nd March)

This smart and endearing sitcom is narrated by Chris Rock and is based on his childhood. Follow along with Chris (Tyler James Williams), a preteen who is struggling to impress his strict parents and get over the stress of entering puberty as he is bused from Brooklyn to a largely white junior high school.

Social Media Murders Series Two: Episodes 3&4 (ITVX 9th March)

In the third episode, the murder of Bianca Devins is the focus. In rural New York, a young woman is murdered, and the perpetrator broadcasts footage of the crime online. Before the authorities can confirm what happened, the horrific crime scene photos are provided to her family. The family then has to fight social media sites to have the horrible content removed.

Episode four is called The Murder of Alice Ruggles. This is the harrowing account of a young woman’s murder at the hands of her cold-blooded ex-boyfriend, who had been tormenting and stalking her online for some time before killing her in her house in Newcastle. The documentary examines how cyberstalking led to Alice’s murder by revealing their private social media conversations leading up to the tragedy.

Gotham (2014-2019) (ITVX 9th March)

Commissioner James Gordon is one of the criminal underworld’s most feared adversaries due to his name being practically synonymous with law and order. Everyone is familiar with the name. But how well known is Gordon’s meteoric journey from police rookie to Police Commissioner? What did it take to survive in the underbelly of Gotham City, where such infamous baddies as Catwoman, the Penguin, the Riddler, Two-Face, and the Joker were born? An all-new chapter in the history of DC Comics’ greatest Super-Villains and vigilantes is revealed in GOTHAM.

Bali 2002 (2022) (ITVX 16th March)

Bali 2002 is an inspiring and emotional four-part drama that explores how everyday heroes from Bali, Australia and beyond defied the odds to bring order from chaos and hope from despair during the 2002 Bali bombings. The series is the first time the full story has been told and was developed in consultation with those directly impacted by the tragedy.

On October 12, 2002, the island paradise of Bali was shattered by a terrorist attack on two of Kuta Beach’s busiest nightclubs. Boththe local Balinese, and international tourists scrambled to escape, to rescue the injured and to comfort the dying. Australian and Indonesian authorities not only mobilised to evacuate survivors and identify victims, but to hunt down those responsible.

Amidst this chaos, heroes arose to defy the odds from the most unlikely places and cultures united in the search for healing, justice and- meaning.

Featuring a stellar cast led by AACTA Award-winner Rachel Griffiths, Richard Roxburgh, Claudia Jessie, Sean Keenan,, Ewen Leslie and Arka Das. .

Community (2009-2015) (ITVX 16th March)

All six seasons of the sitcom based around a quirky study group at a community college. When smooth-talking suspended lawyer Jeff (Joel McHale) is forced to pursue a degree at a small community college, he is pleased to meet Britta (Gillian Jacobs) and forms a study group with the sole purpose of spending more time with her. Unfortunately for Jeff, a number of the college’s most eccentric students take the group seriously and an eclectic community quickly forms around the duo.

The Dry (2022) (ITVX 23rd March)

Starring Roisin Gallagher, Ciarán Hinds, Pom Boyd, Siobhán Cullen, Moe Dunford and newcomer Adam Richardson, The Dry celebrates the joyful chaos and dark absurdities of family life in a series that is all about recovery.

When Shiv Sheridan (Gallagher) returns to Dublin after years of partying in London, she is sober and full of good intentions – but being back with her family makes staying on ‘the dry’ much harder than she expected. As Shiv tries to navigate this new phase of her life, so must her family…and they all have issues they don’t want to face

Jane the Virgin (2014-2019) (ITVX 23rd March)

After vowing to remain chaste until marriage, Jane Villanueva learns she’s pregnant due to a medical slip-up and has to rethink her future. Starring Gina Rodriguez.

Six Four (2022) (ITVX 30th March)

Inspired by the best-selling novel Six Four by Hideo Yokoyama, the drama is set primarily in Glasgow, and is a dark and compelling story of kidnap, corruption, betrayal and an uncompromising search for the truth, when Chris and Michelle O’Neill’s teenage daughter goes missing.

Serving police detective, Chris, played by Kevin McKidd, is provided with a startling revelation about an infamous, unsolved case that once divided the police when a local girl called Julie Mackie disappeared. Now, reeling from the news that his own daughter has gone missing, Chris is approached by a journalist who tells him that fatal mistakes were covered-up in Julie’s disappearance. Revisiting the case, Chris uncovers a series of undeniable errors, corruption and unbridled ambition.

ITV1 – Dates to be confirmed

The Bay Series 4

ITV and Tall Story Pictures, part of ITV Studios, confirmed the return of the hit Morecambe based drama, The Bay, written by Daragh Carville (Being Human, The Smoke, Cherrybomb).

The third series saw Marsha Thomason (Cobra, White Collar) join as Morecambe CID’s new Family Liaison Officer, DS Jenn Townsend, alongside regular cast Daniel Ryan (Innocent, Home Fires), Erin Shanagher (Peaky Blinders, Censor), Thomas Law (The World’s End, A Cinderella Story) and Andrew Dowbiggin (Cobra, Coronation Street).

Grantchester Series 8

Will is the happiest he’s ever been but his world will be rocked by a terrible accident. He’s always preached the word of a compassionate God – but how can he now, when his despair leads him on a dangerous downward spiral?

Geordie has found a new contentment in his relationship with Cathy, but when they are both confronted with shocking announcements at work their happiness is threatened. As Mrs C, Leonard, Jack and Daniel rally around, both Will and Geordie find themselves in unfamiliar, emotional waters and murder is always around the corner.

The eighth season of Grantchester will range from Speedway to spies, exploring the lives of invisible women and the very visible problems caused by Leonard’s new vocation which may, once again, find him battling the law.

Exploring faith, forgiveness, and redemption – this explosive series tests Will and Geordie to the limit.

Grace Series 3

John Simm will reprise his role as Brighton-based Detective Superintendent Roy Grace, for a new series of ITV crime drama Grace.

Grace is an adaptation of international, bestselling author Peter James’ award winning novels, with over 21 million Grace novels having been sold to date.

Episodes one and three will be written by Ben Court and Caroline Ip, with Ed Whitmore writing the second episode.

Starring Richie Campbell as DS Glenn Branson, Zoë Tapper as Cleo Morey and Craig Parkinson as DS Norman Potting, the new series will comprise three feature length films.

BRITBOX UK

BritBox UK will be streaming A Woman of Substance (1985), a three-part series starring Jenny Seagrove and Deborah Kerr, from 9th March. Taking a lighter note, all four seasons of Fresh Meat starring Charlotte Ritchie and Jack Whitehall will stream from 16th March, all three seasons of classic sitcom Count Arthur Strong starring Steve Delaney will stream from 23rd March and all episodes of The Mighty Boosh will stream from Thursday 30th.