Synopsis: Each two-hour episode will see Inspector Ellis (Sharon D Clarke, Showtrial, Lost Boys & Fairies, Rocketman), accompanied by her right-hand man Detective Sergeant (DS) Harper, played by Andrew Gower (The Winter King, Carnival Row, Outlander), arrive at a different local police station, where she will have to win over the local detectives and immerse herself in the cases she’s come to solve. As a Black female cop, Inspector Ellis is used to being dismissed and overlooked but remains focused on her work as a first-class murder detective, fueled by a determination for justice and a deep well of compassion for those who need it. (Courtesy Acorn TV, 2024)
The Cast:
Sharon D. Clarke as Inspector Ellis
Andrew Gower as Detective Sergeant (DS) Harper
Production Credits:
From Company Pictures, in association with Northern Ireland Screen, Inspector Ellis was commissioned for Acorn TV by Catherine Mackin, Managing Director of Acorn Media Enterprises (AME), who also executive produces alongside Bea Tammer,AME’s Director of Development. The series was ordered for Channel 5 by Sebastian Cardwell, Deputy Chief Content Officer, Paramount UK and Paul Testar, Commissioning Editor, Drama, Channel 5 and Paramount+. Executive producers for Company Pictures are Michele Buck and Lucy Raffety with producer Chris Martin and writers Sian Ejiwunmi-Le Berre and Paul Logue. International distribution will be handled by All3 Media International.
The Episodes:
Season One Episode Guide (Acorn TV)
1-01 Hanmore--11/04/2024
When the body of 18-year-old Rowan Edwards is found in a car, partly submerged in a lake, DCI Ellis is called in by Assistant Chief Constable (ACC) Alison Leighton to take over this investigation and get results fast. Rowan’s mother was a Member of Parliament, so the press is all over it, and they need an arrest. Rowan’s girlfriend, Maggie, who was with him, has not been seen since. The current Senior Investigating Officer (SIO), Belmont, is less than impressed to have been shunted off the case, while DS Chet Harper, a keen detective in his early 30s, is assigned to help Inspector Ellis.
1-02 Callorwell--11/11/2024
Inspector Ellis and DS Harper arrive in Callorwell to investigate the disappearance of Jenny Lawler, a local detective. ACC Leighton needs Inspector Ellis on the case as the DCI of the station was recently suspended from duty after Jenny filed a sexual harassment claim against him. Jenny's colleagues do not seem particularly worried about her disappearance, believing she left of her own free will - but Inspector Ellis smells that something is rotten within this force. And she is proven right when Jenny is found, murdered...while she was 14 weeks pregnant.
1-03 Brindleton--11/18/2024
Following the report of two missing honeymooners, Inspector Ellis and DS Harper are called to Brindleton to assist the overwhelmed local force. The disappearance has generated a huge response from the press and the public, but when a severed hand is found in the honeymooner's camper van - it is clear that the pair have met with foul play.
