When a police knock on the door with the devastating news of husband Greg’s death in a road accident they also reveal he was travelling with an unknown woman.
The grief-stricken Ellie refuses to believe her husband was having an affair and sets out to find the truth of who the mystery woman is, and why she was in the car, in this taut and emotional thriller.
Filming will take place on location in London and Manchester in Spring 2011 with Tim Fywell (Waking the Dead) directing and Nigel Marchant (The Suspicions of Mr Whicher, Downton Abbey) producing. The story is being adapted by theatre writer Charlotte Jones (Humble Boy, The Dark, The Woman in White).
The drama has been commissioned by Controller of Drama Commissioning Sally Haynes and ITV’s Director of Drama Commissioning Laura Mackie who comments: “What to do When Someone Dies is an engrossing emotional thriller which explores grief, spiralling obsession, conspiracy and murder. It has been brilliantly adapted from Nicci French’s novel by acclaimed theatre writer Charlotte Jones and I’m delighted we have Anna Friel onboard to play the leading role of Ellie Manning.”
Sally Head adds: “Newly widowed Ellie’s journey of bereavement and absolute determination to prove that the woman who died beside her husband was not his lover will prove stirring and compelling stuff. This is a script full of heart that will make you laugh and cry – a memorable and modern tale of enduring love.”
The novel What to do When Someone Dies can be ordered from the seenit.co.uk store