ITV COMMISSIONS KIDNAP & RANDSOM

ITV commissions brand new primetime drama Kidnap and Ransom starring Trevor Eve. ITV today announced the commission of a brand new drama, KIDNAP AND RANSOM. The series will star one of the UK's leading screen actors, TREVOR EVE (Waking the Dead, Framed) as international hostage negotiator, Dominic King. The three x 60 minute primetime thriller is the first drama to come out of Eve's production company, Projector Pictures, whilst in partnership with talkbackTHAMES.The series has been written by acclaimed scriptwriter Patrick Harbinson (24, Law and Order, ER), and is now in pre-production due to film in South Africa this Spring. Trevor Eve will star alongside, JOHN HANNAH (Rebus, Cold Blood), HELEN BAXENDALE (Marple, Cold Feet), NATASHA LITTLE (Mistresses, This Life), EMMA FIELDING (Cranford) and AMARA KARAN (The Darjeeling Limited).

When a businesswoman (Emma Fielding) is kidnapped in South Africa, expert hostage negotiator Dominic King (Trevor Eve) believes he's dealing with a straightforward case – pay the money, get her back. But when the release is botched and they strike again in Britain, the kidnapper, Willard's (John Hannah) motives become far more sinister. With trouble brewing at home with his wife Sophie (Natasha Little) and teenage daughter - and his team, boss Angela (Helen Baxendale) and ambitious assistant Carrie (Amara Karan) pushed to the limit, King must draw on all his reserves to bring the victims home alive.

"I'm thrilled to be working on this, our first production since Projector joined talkbackTHAMES. It's wonderful to be working with Laura and Sally at ITV on what we all hope will be a really compelling thriller."

"I'm delighted to be working with Trevor again. Not only is he one of this country's most talented actors, he'll also bring to this project his strong editorial expertise, to what is a very exciting and thrilling script."

KIDNAP AND RANSOM has been commissioned by ITV1's Director of Drama Commissioning Laura Mackie and Controller of Drama Commissioning, Sally Haynes. "Kidnap and Ransom is a fascinating, unpredictable and gripping thriller and we're delighted to be working with Trevor's production company on such an exciting project" said Laura. KIDNAP AND RANSOM is a talkbackTHAMES/Projector Pictures co-production for ITV1. Executive Producers are Trevor Eve and Johnathan Young. Producer is Trevor Hopkins and Director is Andy Wilson.

For talkbackTHAMES Lucy Shanahan: lucy.shanahan@talkbackthames.tv

Notes to editors:

In 2007, talkbackTHAMES and the Fremantlemedia Group, partnered with Trevor Eve and his drama company Projector Pictures. Kidnap and Ransom is the debut commission under this partnership. FremantleMedia is one of the largest international creators and producers of entertainment brands in the world with leading prime time drama, serial drama, entertainment and factual entertainment programming. FremantleMedia Enterprises, the company's content exploitation arm, offers a comprehensive Licensing, Distribution and Home Entertainment world wide brand extension programme. FremantleMedia is a subsidiary of RTL Group, Europe's largest television and radio broadcast company, which is 90% owned by Bertelsmann AG, an integrated media and entertainment company that commands leading positions in the world's media markets. www.fremantlemedia.com