ITV has greenlit a four-part adaptation of Graham Norton’s darkly comic debut novel Holding, with Game Of Thrones star Conleth Hill attached in the lead role.
The project hails from Happy Prince, the ITV Studios-backed production company established by A Very English Scandal producer Dominic Treadwell-Collins, and will be directed by British comedy star Kathy Burke.
Adapted by Treadwell-Collins and Karen Cogan, Holding tells the story of Irish police officer, Sergeant PJ Collins, a gentle mountain of a man, who hides from people and fills his days with comfort food and half-hearted police work.
When the body of long-lost local legend Tommy Burke is discovered in the fictional village of Duneen, West Cork, PJ is called to solve a serious crime for the first time in his career. PJ finally has to connect with the village he has tried hard to avoid.
Holding is produced by Happy Prince alongside Martina Niland for Port Pictures, in association with Screen Ireland. ITV Studios also produces and will distribute the series internationally. Filming commences over the summer.
ITV drama head Polly Hill said: “Graham’s wonderful book has been brilliantly brought to life by Dom and Karen. Conleth Hill is the perfect PJ, in what is a funny and well observed look at life in a small rural Irish community. It’s testament to the strength of those scripts that Kathy Burke is directing and it will be exciting to see her bring this adaptation to screen.”
BBC chat show presenter Norton has written three novels, including A Keeper and Home Stretch.
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