ITV Commissions Crime Thriller Saviour

ITV has ordered the crime and courtroom drama Saviour, produced by Nisha Parti’s Parti Productions and written by first-time screenwriter Imran Mahmood, who is a criminal barrister.

Saviour will air on ITV1 and STV and be available for streaming on ITVX and STV Player. Parti Productions has partnered with Drama Republic (One Day, Doctor Foster, The English) to co-produce.

Peter Moffat (Scoop, 61st Street, Silk, Criminal Justice) will executive produce the drama alongside Parti. Helen Ziegler will oversee production from the channel’s perspective.

The drama introduces us to well-brought-up medical student Ben, who goes to a fancy-dress party dressed in a police uniform. He only has eyes for Xenia. When he sees her being attacked by a man on his way home, he has no choice but to intervene, urged on by a bystander innocently assuming he was a real police officer. He chases the man into a tunnel, and we hear the faint hum of an oncoming train as we realize Ben is the only one to emerge from the tunnel alive. He makes a desperate call to his dad, Eddie, whose uniform he “borrowed” for the party. Eddie is a long-serving and well-respected police officer, and he tells Ben exactly what to do next.

Running parallel with Ben’s story, we’re introduced to Indy, a criminal barrister. Admired by all who work alongside her, Indy is going places as all her hard work, evening classes and dedication to her profession is beginning to pay off. When she meets a terrified Ben in a police cell, facing a charge of murder, she will have to navigate a world of police corruption, fervent press interest and a defendant who is keeping secrets from her.

Parti said: “I am so grateful to Polly Hill and ITV for seeing the potential in our script and giving us a chance to make this wonderfully gripping story. I have always been a fan of the courtroom drama and am excited to bring a new version from a different perspective that feels unexpected and authentic with such a brilliant team to support us on our journey.”

Mahmood said: “I am thrilled to be bringing to screen my first scripted TV series for ITV and Parti Productions. I’ve always wanted to use my experience as a criminal barrister to explore the real criminal justice system at work—both its strengths and its failings and there is no better medium than the screen to explore it.”

Polly Hill, ITV’s director of drama, added: “We are delighted to be working with Nisha and to have commissioned Imran’s first original series. The script delivers a really compelling case that has you hooked in from the start and introduces us to a great new leading character in Indy. Imran’s knowledge of the law makes this series feel utterly authentic while delivering a brilliantly original story that will give the audiences all the twists and surprises they demand.”