A detective's life is turned upside down by a high-pressure murder investigation in a new crime series.
An Impossible Way to Die, a six-part drama, is currently being filmed and is set to air on 5 in 2027.
The show stars Glasgow-born Sharon Rooney as DS Katie Salter, a detective whose calm routine is shattered when she's drawn into a disturbing case: four people found dead around a dinner table with a single chilling clue – a scorpion emerging from one victim’s mouth.
Sebastian Cardwell, deputy chief content officer, 5, said: "An Impossible Way to Die is exactly the kind of distinctive, compelling drama we want to bring to 5 audiences.
"Casting Sharon Rooney as a detective was the genesis of this thriller, and she brings something fresh and compelling to DS Katie Salter.
"With its brilliant premise, bold take on the detective genre, fantastic cast and Clapperboard’s flair for character-driven drama, we’re hugely excited to see the series come to life."
Produced by Clapperboard Studios, the series will consist of six hour-long episodes and is billed as a character-driven, tense crime drama exploring themes of identity, power, protection and corruption.
Salter is partnered with DI Niall Conway, played by Emmett J. Scanlan (MobLand), whose all-consuming dedication to the job clashes with Salter’s measured, grounded approach.
As the investigation deepens, DI Conway begins to recognise the value of Salter’s empathy, optimism and instinctive understanding of people as they uncover dangerous secrets and race to connect seemingly disparate cases and unmask a killer before it’s too late.
Mike Benson, managing director of Clapperboard Studios, said: "We’re delighted to be working again with two of the finest performers out there in Sharon and Emmett, alongside our fantastic cast and talented production team led by Adam and Amber.
"The scripts are really quite special - gripping, witty and insidious - and alongside our partners 5 and DCD we can’t wait to introduce the world to DS Salter who avoids all the tropes we’ve seen in television detectives down the years."
The confirmed cast also includes Lois Chimimba (Vigil), Jonny Lavelle (Black Mirror) and Ashley McGuire (This Is Going To Hurt).
The series was commissioned for 5 by Cardwell and is executive produced by Benson and Myf Hopkins for Clapperboard Studios.
Amber Howorth serves as producer, with Adam Wimpenny directing.
The writing team features Robin Ganderton and Rowena Johnson (episodes 1 and 5), Ciara Conway (episodes 2 and 6), Jillian Mannion (episode 3) and David Persiva (episode 4).
An Impossible Way to Die is scheduled to air on 5 in 2027, with international distribution handled by DCD Rights.
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