Innocent

ITV, MONDAY-THURSDAY, 9PM

WHAT IS IT? Following the critical acclaim and ratings success of the first series of Innocent, a new story with the Innocent label from writers and co-creators Chris Lang and Matt Arlidge returns to ITV.

WHAT’S THE STORY? When Matty is found dead, brutally stabbed with a broken cider bottle, suspicion falls upon teacher Sally Wright (Katherine Kelly) who had admitted to taking special interest in the boy. In spite of having no criminal record, no history of violence and vehemently protesting her innocence and the fact she couldn’t be placed at the remote beauty spot on the day Matty was found murdered, Sally was convicted by a majority verdict and sentenced to a minimum of 15 years in jail.

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT? The new fourpart series opens with Sally in the dock of Carlisle Crown Court, steely and determined to prove her innocence and that she’s been the victim of a terrible miscarriage of justice. After the forewoman pronounces Sally is ‘not guilty’ of the crime which has destroyed her life she sets out to help the police seek answers and find the real killer.

STAR KATHERINE KELLY SAYS: “The show is really about freedom and its importance. For me, what is more important than being free? It’s something that we absolutely take for granted, and yet when it’s gone it’s so hard to claw back. When you don’t have freedom you have very little. And who are you without freedom? And isn’t that something we’ve all had to consider during this pandemic? It’s a real investigation of that.”