Michelle Keegan and Douglas Booth are set to star in a “gripping” new thriller based around police corruption and misogyny. 

The new ITV series is packed with so many “surprising twists” that viewers have been promised they’ll be left on the edges of their seats.

Set in a quiet seaside town, The Blame begins with a murder that leaves everyone shocked. But as the police investigation gets underway, a tale of treacherous politics within the force starts to unravel.

Michelle and Douglas will play the investigating police officers in the case, and the mini-series is hailed as having “mystery at its core”.

Here’s everything we already know about the ITV thriller, including start date, how many episodes and its cast.

What is the plot of The Blame on ITV and ITVX?

ITV’s The Blame will begin with a grisly find. The discovery of the body of teenage figure skater, Sophie Madsen, sends shockwaves through the sleepy seaside town of Wakestead.

Detective Inspector Emma Crane and Detective Inspector Tom Radley are immediately put in charge of the case. But as the investigation into Sophie’s death gets underway, it spirals into a tangled web of lies, deliberate cover-ups and moral compromise.

Trust within the police force begins to fracture and DI Crane soon finds herself navigating both Sophie’s murder and exploitation, corruption and misogyny within her own team.

Expect plenty of underhand betrayal and a “twisty journey”, with some pretty complex characters thrown in, as the mini-series plays out.

Who wrote The Blame?

The Blame is based on the debut novel of the same name by Charlotte Langle. It has been adapted for TV by screenwriter Megan Gallagher, who will also act as the series’ executive producer.

Megan is best known for the BBC drama WOLF. The six-part horror-thriller series aired on the BBC in 2023 and Megan adapted it from Mo Hayder’s novel, also called WOLF.

She has also written All Her Fault, an eight-part thriller starring American actresses Sarah Snook and Dakota Fanning. The series is due to air on Sky later this year and has a plot line similar to Disney+ thriller The Stolen Girl.

Megan said: “The Blame is such an important and urgent story to tell; I’m so grateful to have had the opportunity to bring Charlotte Langley’s world and  characters to life on screen.

“It’s my second collaboration with Quay Street Productions, and it’s great to be working with the team again – I’m truly in the best hands.”

Who plays DI Emma Crane in The Blame?

Michelle Keegan, 38, portrays Detective Inspector Emma Crane in ITV’s The Blame. Michelle first became a household name playing Tina McIntyre in Coronation Street from 2008 to 2014.

The Manchester-born actress has since made quite the name of herself as one of TV’s most bankable leading ladies, following the likes of  Suranne Jones, Katherine Kelly and Sarah Lancashire before her.

After Corrie, Michelle went on to play Tracy in the 2015 series Ordinary Lies, and she was cast as Tina in biopic Tina and Bobby. In 2016, Michelle took over from Lacey Turner as the lead of Our Girl. She portrayed the role of British Army female medic Georgie Lane in the BBC series until 2020.

Michelle also played Maya Stern in the Harlan Coben Netflix thriller Fool Me Once, and has proved her comedy credentials in Sky’s Brassic, too.

Earlier this year, Michelle reprised her role as Kate in BBC drama Ten Pound Poms. The BBC is yet to confirm whether there will be a third series of the popular show, which is set in Australia, although plenty of of loose ends have been left to tie up.

Fans of Michelle will know she welcomed her first child, daughter Palma, with her husband Mark Wright in March.

Who plays DI Tom Radley

The ever popular Douglas Booth will star opposite Michelle as Detective Inspector Tom Radley in The Blame. The hunky actor, 33, had his first touch of fame playing musician Boy George in the BBC Two film, Worried About the Boy. For the role, he shaved off his eyebrows and donned a face of very heavy make-up.

Douglas later starred alongside Gillian Anderson and Ray Winstone in the BBC adaptations of Great Expectations. He’s also appeared onscreen alongside Demi Moore and Miley Cyrus in teen drama LOL.

More recently, Douglas starred as Mötley Crüe bassist Nikki Sixx in the 2019 film, The Dirt. He also plays Cluracan in the second series of Netflix’s The Sandman, which dropped last month. Douglas’s character in the fantasy drama is a a fairy courtier who serves the king and queen of Faerie.

Who else is in the cast of ITV thriller The Blame?

There are plenty of other recognisable faces in ITV’s The Blame. Ian Hart will play DCI Kenneth Walker. Harry Potter fans will know Ian as Professor Quirrell and the voice of Voldemort. He took on the roles in Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone.

Ian also starred as investigator Bob Rutherford in ITV’s true story drama Mr Bates vs. The Post Office. The actor has a very long list of notable credits, but he’s well known as Father Beocca in BBC Two’s The Last Kingdom.

Line of Duty and Peaky Blinders actor Nigel Boyle will play digital forensic technician Brett Shergill. Rising star Nathan Mensha will place DC Lewis.

Gentleman Jack and Black Mirror’s Joe Armstrong plays ice-skating coach Kyle Frasier, while Matilda Freeman from Passenger and How to Get to Heaven from Belfast is Sophie Madsen.

Gavin Spokes who starred in both House of the Dragon and Slow Horses is part of the Wakestead Police team. He is joined by Josh Bolt, from Masters of the Air and Last Tango in Halifax, and White Lines and Cheaters actor Ceallach Spellman. They star as DC Joel Stevens, DC Douglas James and PC Callum Drummond respectively.

Where is it set?

The Blame is set in the seaside town of Wakestead. This is a fictional coastal town. Filming for The Blame will take place across various locations in and around London.

ITV’s The Blame: How many episodes, start date

There will be six episodes of The Blame. Each one will be 60 minutes long. Filming for the thriller is starting this summer.

This means The Blame is unlikely to air on ITV until 2026 at the earliest.

Read more: Believe Me on ITV: Inside ’emotional’ new true crime drama based on the Black Cab Rapist

The Blame begins filming for ITV during the summer of 2025.