Hugo Speer & Sharon Small To Topline Acorn TV’s Cop Drama ‘London Kills’

Britannia star Hugo Speer and Trust Me’s Sharon Small are to lead the cast for U.S. SVOD service Acorn’s first straight-to-series commission.

The pair are joined by Casualty and EastEnders actor Bailey Patrick and newcomer Tori Allen-Martin in the five-part drama, which will tell the story of a team of top murder detectives and will be shot like a documentary. Each episode will feature a different murder in addition to a serialized story involving the lead detective’s missing wife.

Speer, who has also starred in ITV’s Marcella and BBC’s The Musketeers, stars as Detective Inspector David Bradford, who comes back to work after his wife goes missing and there are still no significant leads on her case. Small plays ambitious Detective Sergeant Vivienne Cole, who has been running the murder team in David’s absence and is frustrated by David’s approach to their investigations. Patrick plays Detective Constable Rob Brady, an ex-soldier who acts as peacemaker between the two, warring, senior officers and Allen-Martin stars as Trainee Detective Sergeant Billie Fitzgerald, a new recruit who favors DS Cole.

London Kills, which will launch in the winter is Written by Marquess, who also created iconic British soap Footballers’ Wives, along with Sarah-Louise Hawkins, Jake Riddell, Sally Tatchell and Claire Fryer. It is produced by Marquess’ production company PGMTV and will be distributed internationally by ZDF Enterprise.

Guest stars in the series will include Glynis Barber (EastEnders), Melanie Gutteridge (Shakespeare & Hathaway), Jennie Jacques (Vikings), Frances Tomelty (Catastrophe) and Dean Andrews (Last Tango In Halifax).

Shane Murphy, Managing Director, Acorn Media Enterprises, said, “Acorn is excited to start production on our second commission and first straight-to-series order with London Kills this month. With Paul Marquess, we’ve put together a stellar cast of detectives.”