TV FAVOURITES BACK IN ACTION FOR THE AUTUMN
ITV will be back in production with as many as twelve dramas by the autumn – but hit detective show Vera and a much-anticipated reboot of The Darling Buds Of May will not feature.
Both series have had to be pushed way back, meaning they may not air until 2022.
However, first out of the blocks for 2021 should be the fourth run of Unforgotten, starring Nicola Walker and Sanjeev Bhaskar as cold case detectives, and Honour, with Keeley Hawes – a two-parter in which she plays a cop investigating a so-called honour killing, based on a real-life story.
The pandemic shook up the TV industry, with many productions forced to pause mid-shoot and other upcoming dramas seriously delayed.
The 11th series of Vera, starring Oscar-nominated actress Brenda Blethyn, 74, was due to start shooting four episodes over the summer.
The delay means Britain’s longest-running femaleled detective series, which normally airs in January, is unlikely to be screened until the end of 2021 – at the earliest.
One source revealed: “Everyone is ready to go next spring or summer, so we’re just keeping everything crossed.”
Sunshine
Another series on pause is the adaptation of HE Bates’ The Darling Buds of May, starring Bradley Walsh as lead character Pop Larkin, originally played by David Jason in the 1990s.
The show, which features Joanna Scanlan as Pop’s wife Ma – formerly played by Pam Ferris – has been pushed back by a full year.
One source said: “We just ran out of time because it needs to shoot in full summer, with lots of sunshine and strawberries.”
Other ITV shows to resume by September include Trigger Point, a new drama starring Vicky McClure as a bomb disposal expert.
But filming on the series cannot start until she has finished filming BBC One’s Line Of Duty, which halted in March. It restarts shooting next month.
ITV bosses are also hoping to have edited dramas ready to air across January, February and March, when cold nights send viewers to their sofas.
ITV stalwarts Midsomer Murders, Grantchester and Endeavour are also gearing up for more episodes to be filmed within the next few weeks.
One insider said: “There is very little on the shelf for 2021, so getting some dramas ready to air in winter and spring next year is a huge priority.”