A new six-part crime drama set against the backdrop of Loch Ness and starring John Sessions and Laura Fraser has been announced by ITV.
Written by Stephen Brady (Fortitude, Vera, Silent Witness) and overseen by ITV Studios Creative Director for Drama and Executive Producer Tim Haines (Beowulf, Primeval, Sinbad), Loch Ness will introduce Annie and her family – husband Alan, a tour boat operator on the loch and their only child Evie, who at 18, is about to leave home for Australia.
The Cathro’s are an ordinary loving family with an ordinary set of problems, yet the pressure of a murder investigation will undermine their stability and create tensions that threaten to disrupt and destroy their lives together.
Within the tightly knit community, several local characters will come under suspicion as the monster lurking in their midst begins to terrify and rock the village to its core.
Forensic profiler, Blake Albrighton, will assist on the case offering insights borne from the last four cases he’s helped crack with his distinctive way of working.
In addition to Fraser and Sessions, the cast includes Don Gilet (Brief Encounters, Holby City, EastEnders), Gray O’Brien (The Daniel Connection, Titanic: Blood and Steel, Coronation Street) and William Ash (The Tunnel, Moving On, Death in Paradise).
Executive Producer Tim Haines commented: “Serial killers are monsters that lie beneath the surface of normal happy communities. Where better to hunt for one than in a place that has thrived off its own monster myth for centuries – Loch Ness.”
“Loch Ness is a gripping, tightly-plotted drama which focuses on how a serial killer terrifies a local community,” said Victoria Fea, ITV’s Controller of Drama.
“Stephen Brady’s compelling scripts utilise the wilderness of Loch Ness perfectly.”
Loch Ness will begin filming in the Highlands of Scotland this month and is supported by Creative Scotland’s Production Growth Fund.
Natalie Usher, Director, Screen, Creative Scotland, said: “We can’t wait to see the results of the combined vision of writer Stephen Brady and directors Brian Kelly and Cilla Ware.
“The Production Growth Fund has allowed us to anchor another high-profile television production almost entirely in Scotland, further developing Scotland’s reputation as a key filming destination where productions can benefit from working with our world-class craft and technical talent.”
