Production has begun on Invisible, a new detective drama for ITV produced by Mammoth Screen (The Pale Horse, Poldark, Victoria). Filming is taking place on interior sets at The Bottle Yard Studios and on location in Bristol and Bath, with assistance from both city’s Film Offices.
The series of feature length crime mysteries, featuring two intriguing stories in this first outing, will star BAFTA winner Jason Watkins, pictured (The Crown, The Lost Honour of Christopher Jefferies, W1A) and Tala Gouveia (Cold Feet).
Commissioned by Polly Hill, ITV’s Head of Drama, Invisible is produced by Mammoth Screen, part of ITV Studios, and created and written by screenwriter, Robert Murphy (lead writer on DCI Banks).
Set in Bath, Invisible pairs the wildly ambitious DCI McDonald (Gouveia) with the shy, modest DS Dodds (Watkins). While McDonald has transferred from the mean streets of South London to leap up the career ladder, Dodds has happily languished on the shelf for most of his working life. McDonald is a tough, driven, battering ram of a cop who cracks cases through sheer force of will; Dodds – the tortoise to her hare – is quiet, unassuming and enigmatic. But thrust back into frontline action for the first time in a decade, he discovers a hidden talent for deciphering puzzles.
Two contemporary Britons, seemingly with nothing in common, thrown together, boss McDonald and loyal sidekick Dodds forge a rumbustious, entertaining and ultimately – give or take a few setbacks – effective partnership. Each episode takes us into a new story world – from a greed-fueled murder in the upper echelons of Bath society to an unexplained death in a private hospital for recovering addicts. With a classic crime story at its heart, Invisible combines intriguing plots and the journey of two ‘fish-out-of-water’ detectives with warmth and humour.
Commented Polly Hill: “Invisible will be executive produced by Robert Murphy and by Preethi Mavahalli and Damien Timmer for Mammoth, and filmed on location in the west country. Richard Senior (Poldark, Humans, Doctor Who) will direct the first feature-length episode. ITV’s Drama Commissioner, Huw Kennair Jones, will oversee production of the drama from the channel’s perspective.”
Damien Timmer added: “We’re delighted to have Tala Gouveia and Jason Watkins on board to bring the McDonald and Dodds to life. With the city of modern Bath as the backdrop to their double act, and with Robert’s scripts which crackle with wit, modernity and cleverness, I’m confident viewers will be gripped as they investigate their first intriguing cases together.
“Robert Murphy has created a brilliant new partnership in Dodds and McDonald and I’m thrilled they will be played by Jason Watkins and Tala Gouveia. I think this is a fresh and contemporary double act that the audience will love, and we are delighted to be working with Mammoth to bring them to ITV next year.”