MASTERPIECE on PBS has announced that it will be co-producing the upcoming six-part police procedural Winter. The series features an unconventional forensic pathologist, played by Richard Armitage (Missing You, Red Eye, Fool Me Once), whose brilliance, sharp intellect, and rule-breaking approach helps the police solve some of the most complex murder cases. Winter is an Eagle Eye Drama production co-produced with MASTERPIECE and in association with ITV Studios.
Set in Bristol, England, Winter follows Dr. Ethan Winter, one of the most gifted pathologists of his generation. He possesses an extraordinary analytical mind, capable of impeccable deductive reasoning which perfectly complements DI Lauren Bell, played by Annabel Scholey (The Sixth Commandment, Rivals, The Split), a meticulous, no-nonsense detective who is as driven as Winter when working on a case. Together, they make a formidable team, as Winter’s genius and insight into the victims is invaluable to Bell and her murder squad detectives.
Yet Winter is harboring a secret. The unsolved murder of someone close to him still haunts his every move, and he’s intent on unofficially investigating the death to bring the murderer to justice. This personal thread runs beneath the six-part series, with each episode featuring its own compelling, self-contained crime story.
“The team behind Winter are second to none, and the ambition of David Allison’s scripts is very exciting and will attempt to shake up the genre that we’ve grown to love,” commented Richard Armitage. “Ethan Winter is a compelling character treading the line between diligent professional and reckless maverick. He has a painful secret and a fatalistic self-destruct button over which his finger constantly hovers. I’m thrilled to be returning to ITV.”
“I am thrilled to be joining ITV and Eagle Eye Drama as part of the Winter team, and to be working alongside the brilliant Richard Armitage on these fantastic scripts,” commented Annabel Scholey. “Our characters’ tempestuous relationship will be a total thrill to explore, and I am excited to step into the wonderfully dry shoes of DI Lauren Bell.”
“Winter has the unique combination of compelling mysteries and human drama that our American audience craves,” MASTERPIECE Head of Scripted Content and Executive Producer Susanne Simpson commented. “I am so pleased to bring this series to MASTERPIECE.”
MASTERPIECE is presented on PBS by GBH Boston.
Winter will be directed by Dries Vos (The Couple Next Door, Professor T) and Kaat Beels (Professor T, The Twelve), with Matt Baker (Professor T) producing the series. Jo McGrath and Walter Iuzzolino will executive produce the series on behalf of Eagle Eye Drama, part of ITV Studios. The series is adapted by David Allison (The Couple Next Door) and Mark Greig (Ashes to Ashes).
“We are delighted to be working with an exceptionally talented cast like Richard Armitage and Annabel Scholey to bring Winter to life for MASTERPIECE and ITV,” commented Jo McGrath, Chief Creative Officer, and Walter Iuzzolino, Chief Executive Officer for Eagle Eye Drama. “The world of forensic pathology gives us the opportunity to create a different visual grammar for the show, and in the hands of two inspiring directors such as Dries Vos and Kaat Beels we know that the world of Ethan Winter will turn into a stylish and compelling TV series.”
The series is based on the television series Balthazar, created by Clothilde Jamin and Clélia Constantine and produced by Beaubourg Stories.
Filming is due to commence in Bristol and Belgium during early 2026.
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