Nicola Walker is to star in a new six-part TV adaptation of Radio 4 drama Annika.
The former Spooks star plays the sharp, witty and enigmatic DI Annika Strandhed (Walker), as she heads up a new specialist Marine Homicide Unit (MHU) tasked with investigating the unexplained, brutal, and seemingly unfathomable murders that wash up in the waterways of Scotland.
Throughout the series, Annika makes the audience her confidante by breaking the fourth wall and sharing her wry observations on the case and her life, as she manages her brilliant yet unconventional team, and her equally brilliant yet complex teenage daughter.
The series will air on UKTV’s Alibi channel and is produced by Black Camel Pictures for Alibi and All3Media International.
Nicola Walker said: “Annika navigates the world, her work and her home life in fabulously unique and unusual ways and I can’t wait to see her come to life in Scotland.”
Philippa Collie Cousins, UKTV’s drama commissioner, said: “Our new detective series Annika is a breath of fresh air: a whip smart detective, great cases and the glorious Scottish scenery.
“Nicola Walker has been integral in helping us develop her character, creating a maverick female detective who not only has Norwegian ancestry, but is dryly funny, a chaotic parent and a fish out of water.
“We’re also really excited to have a diverse writer’s room with lead writer, Nick Walker and emerging talents, Frances Poet and Lucia Haynes.”
Further casting will be announced over the coming months, with the series due to air on Alibi in 2021.