Production on the six-part, darkly comedic thriller Passenger, created by Northern Sister and set to air on ITVX and BritBox International, has begun, with the award-winning Wunmi Mosaku in the lead role.
After premiering on ITVX, Passenger will also air on ITV1 and BritBox in overseas markets. Its writer, Andrew Buchan, is best known for his starring appearances on Broadchurch, The Honourable Woman, and Better.
David Threlfall (Shameless, Funny Woman) plays Jim Bracknall, former Met Police Detective Riya Ajunwa is played by Bafta winner Wunmi Mosaku (Loki, Damilola, Our Loved Boy).
Further cast includes Dan Ryan (The Bay) as Derek Jackson, Rowan Robinson (So Awkward) as Katie Wells, Barry Sloane (Six) as Eddie Wells, Natalie Gavin (Gentleman Jack) as Joanne Wells, Nico Mirallegro (My Mad Fat Diary, Rillington Place) as Kane Jackson, Hubert Hanowicz (This Is Going To Hurt) as Jakob Makowski, Jack James Ryan (Coronation Street) as John Trowbridge, Matilda Freeman (Alma’s Not Normal) as Lily Wells, Shervin Alenabi (Baghdad In My Shadow) as Mehmet Shah, Ella Bruccoleri (Call The Midwife) as Ali Day and Arian Nik (The Bay) as Nish Chowdry – all of whom form the close-knit community that is sent spinning on its axis following a series of strange and unnatural crimes, in the small Northern village of Chadder Vale.
Five years after moving there, former Met Police detective Riya Ajunwa is still looking for the “one big crime” that will make her feel like she’s finally living again.
Then, Katie Wells, a local teen, is kidnapped in the middle of the night. Blood is found on the seats of her abandoned automobile. Katie disappears without a trace, yet the next day she’s back in the hamlet like nothing ever happened.
As for the rest of the town, they seem unconcerned and things go back to usual. Yet for Riya, who is not native to the Chadder Vale culture, nothing about this makes sense. When a string of unexplained events and gruesome crimes unfolds in the town, the locals begin to blame outside forces and cling to simplistic explanations. A determined Riya exerts great effort to persuade her other villagers that something is amiss. And before long, she finds herself immersed in a world unlike any she has ever known.
Lucy Dyke (The Split, Eric), Simon Maloney (Time, I May Destroy You), Jane Featherstone (This Is Going to Hurt, Chernobyl), and SISTER are the executive producers of Passenger. SISTER is a production of Northern Sister, and Andrew Buchan is the show’s creator, writer, and associate producer. Lee Haven-Jones (The Bay, The Feast) and Nicole Charles (The Returned) serve as directors, and producer Sumrah Mohammed (The Split 3) serves as showrunner (The Following Events are Based on a Pack of Lies).
ITV’s Head of Drama Polly Hill will oversee production of the series from the channel’s perspective with Reemah Sakaan and Stephen Nye overseeing on behalf of BritBox International. Those living in the United States, Canada, Australia, South Africa, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, and Norway will be able to watch the series exclusively on BritBox International, a streaming service that boasts the best assortment of must-see British entertainment.
All3Media International will be in charge of international sales and distribution for Passenger.