ITV June 2023 monthly highlights

ITV June 2023 monthly highlights

• ITVX comedy takeover on site all-month 
• Jonathan Ross: Must Watch Films and Alan Carr’s autobiographical comedy Changing Ends streaming on ITVX from 01/06
• Significant Other streaming on ITVX from 08/06
• Count Abdulla streaming on ITVX from 15/06
• Ruby Speaking streaming on ITVX from 22/06
• June highlights on ITV1 include Litvinenko, Riches, a new series of Van Der Valk, Vicky McClure: My Grandad’s War, The British Soap Awards and Soccer Aid 2023

1st June

ITVX

Exclusive: 

Jonathan Ross: Must Watch Films

This month’s Jonathan Ross’ monthly film recommendations will cover some of the fantastic new films available for free on the service this month including Baby Driver, Noah and The Age of Innocence. Jonathan will also be looking at some of the gems available to ITVX Premium subscribers within the StudioCanal Presents collection including The Graduate, Train to Busan and Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure. 

Changing Ends

Changing Ends is co-written by the BAFTA award winning Alan Carr and the Scottish BAFTA & RTS award winning Simon Carlyle (Two Doors Down), based on Alan’s own life in Northampton in the 1980’s growing up as the son of a fourth division football manager.   

Alan will star in the series as himself in present day, whilst taking on the role of young Alan is rising star Oliver Savell (Belfast). Shaun Dooley and Nancy Sullivan will play Alan’s parents Graham and Christine along with Taylor Fay as his younger brother Gary.

Films: 

Films available on the platform from 1st June include 2015’s sporting documentary Ronaldo, 2016’s I Am Bolt and docudrama thriller United 93 directed by Paul Greengrass. Viewers will also be able to enjoy thriller Runaway Jury starring John Cusack, and crime dramas Once Upon a Time in America starring Robert De Niro and Villain starring Craig Fairbrass.Those desiring a more epic watch can settle down with Noah starring Russell Crowe, historial war drama Glory starring Denzel Washington or sci-fi nail-biter Monsters: Dark Continent. Those seeking romance won’t be disappointed with The Age of Innocence starring Daniel Day-Lewis, Across the Universe starring Evan Rachel Wood, and Legends of the Fall starring Brad Pitt. 

8th June

Exclusive: Significant Other

BAFTA award-winner Katherine Parkinson and RTS award-winner Youssef Kerkour are the leads of Significant Other, a brand new comedy-drama from multi-award-winning producer Nicola Shindler (Quay Street Productions - part of ITV Studios).  

The series, written by Dana Fainaru and Hamish Wright will premiere exclusively on ITVX this June.

Adapted from yes Studios’ award-winning Israeli series of the same name, the 6 x 30-minute series will follow two lonely neighbours who embark on a hesitant, obstacle-filled relationship after drastic life events bring them together.  As this strange love story unfolds with wryly observed wit and warmth, could these deeply flawed individuals – both at a time in their lives when change is difficult and rarely expected – influence each other for the better? 

The cast also includes Kelle Bryan, Mark Heap, Ben Bailey Smith, Sue Vincent, Shaun Williamson, Olivia Poulet and Will Ash.

Series:

The Mindy Project (2012-2017) 

This hilarious sitcom follows Dr. Mindy Lahiri (Mindy Kaling, who also created the series), an Ob-Gyn who attempts to balance her hectic and demanding job with her tumultuous personal life. Surrounded by a host of offbeat co-workers, Mindy undertakes a mission to become a more well-rounded woman in an effort to land the perfect guy-whomever he may be. Chris Messina, Ed Weeks, and Ike Barinholtz also star.

15th June 

Exclusive: Count Abdulla

Count Abdulla follows Abdulla Khan (Arian Nik, The Bay) - a mid-twenties British Muslim Doctor stuck in an identity crisis, caught between his religious mother and his secular, hedonistic friends. But when Abdulla is bitten by a vampire (Jaime Winstone, Four Lives) he suddenly becomes the outsider’s outsider. 

This new 6x30 comedy series is written by Kaamil Shah and directed by Asim Abbasi (Churails). Count Abdulla is a Fudge Park production, produced by Hussain Casey Ahmed (Afterlife), with executive producer Phil Gilbert (White Gold).

22nd June 

Exclusive: Ruby Speaking 

Newly-single Ruby is a fun and irreverent member of the customer service team at the Bristol call centre of Hellocom. The life and soul of her workplace, Ruby struggles to read from the prepared script that work and life have foisted upon her, choosing instead to walk her own chaotic path.

Comedy Ruby Speaking follows Ruby and her ragtag bunch of colleagues at the Hellocom call centre as they live, love, laugh and enter a choir competition they have no business being in. 

Alongside Jayde Adams in the title role, the cast also features Katherine Kelly as Vicki, Sam Swainsbury as Mark, Joe Sims as Tom, Jamal Franklin as Cameron, Nicky Goldie as Donna, Amy-Leigh Hickman as Ellie, Dan Hiscox as Craig and Kiera Lester as Melons.

29th June

Series

Twelve Monkeys (2015-2018)

Every episode from all four seasons of the sci-fi mystery drama starring Aaron Stanford and Amanda Schull. The series follows time traveller James Cole (Stanford), who travels to the present day from the year 2043 to find the source of a deadly virus which will cause the death of over 90 per cent of the world's population. Aided by virologist Cassandra Railly (Schull), Cole learns that the shadowy 'Army of the Twelve Monkeys' may have something to do with the virus. 

ITV1/ ITV2

Dates to be confirmed in due course

Litvinenko

David Tennant portrays Alexander Litvinenko, the former Russian Federal Security Services and KGB officer, whose death from Polonium-210 poisoning in November 2006 triggered one of the most complex and dangerous investigations in the history of the Metropolitan Police.

Litvinenko is the story of the determined New Scotland Yard officers who worked to prove who was responsible for the death of Alexander Litvinenko. Written by acclaimed screenwriter George Kay (Creator and Showrunner of the smash hit crime thriller Lupin) the drama relates how in November 2006 two police officers were called to University College Hospital in London to interview a patient in declining health. The patient was Alexander Litvinenko, a Russian dissident who claimed to have been poisoned on the direct orders of Vladimir Putin. During the police interviews, Alexander provided meticulous details from his hospital bedside about the events leading up to his illness, which he knew would prove fatal. His information would ultimately help detectives track down two Russians who had poisoned Litvinenko with Polonium-210, a highly toxic radioactive substance. The drama also focuses upon the story of Marina, portrayed by Margarita Levieva (The Deuce, The Blacklist), Alexander’s fearless, dignified widow who fought tirelessly to persuade the British Government to publicly name her husband’s killers and acknowledge the role of the Russian State in his murder.

Litvinenko has been produced with the support of many of the key individuals involved in the investigation and subsequent public inquiry including former New Scotland Yard officers, Clive Timmons and Brent Hyatt, along with Ben Emmerson QC and Alexander’s family.

Litvinenko: The Mayfair Poisonings 

A one hour film detailing the events surrounding the assassination of Russian national Alexander Litvinenko in 2006; this is the real story of not just a murder inquiry, but also a radiation health emergency that shocked the world - told by the people that were actually there.

Alexander Litvinenko died over fifteen years ago, yet his poisoning is still one of the most prominent assassinations in history. For the first time ever, this documentary will reveal the previously untold story of the experts behind-the-scenes who dealt with the deadly radioactive poisoning on British soil and those who led the investigation into Litvinenko’s murder.

The documentary provides a unique, alternative view of Alexander’s assassination, with an interview with his wife, Marina Litvinenko.

Van Der Valk Series 3

Marc Warren ((Safe, Mad Dogs, Hustle) reprises the titular role of Commissaris Piet Van Der Valk in the third series of detective drama Van Der Valk which is filmed entirely on location in and around Amsterdam.

The street-smart detective is once again joined by Maimie McCoy as Inspector Lucienne Hassell, Darrell D’Silva as team pathologist Hendrik Davie and Emma Fielding as Chief Commissaris Julia Dahlman. Returning cast members are joined by new team members Sergeants Citra Li played by Django Chan-Reeves and Eddie Suleman played by Azan Ahmed.

Chris Murray continues as lead writer and showrunner, alongside Michele Buck as Executive Producer for Company Pictures.

The return of Van Der Valk sees the Dutch detective and his team solving three more homicides in the city.

Riches 

A smart businessman, with an undeniably ruthless streak, Stephen Richards is one of the UK’s most successful Black businessmen. 

He’s built his renowned business empire, Flair & Glory, through hard work and his entrepreneurial skills, making it the market leader in black hair and beauty. But, his rise to the top hasn’t been easy.  

After 20 years of success, he’s at the helm of a multi-million pound cosmetics empire and is reaping the rewards of his ambitions. He's a great advocate for black-owned business; powerful, driven and impassioned, and with a glamorous, second wife, Claudia (Sarah Niles), life is never dull. Along with their adult children, Alesha (Adeyinka Akinrinade), Gus (Ola Orebiyi) and Wanda (Nneka Okoye) they love spending their hard-earned cash and enjoying the good life.

Whilst in New York, Nina (Deborah Ayorinde), and Simon (Emmanuel Imani), his estranged children from his first marriage, have established themselves as business people in their own right, each successful in their own field.

When Stephen suffers a stroke, the family’s world comes crashing down. As his life hangs in the balance, his different sets of children are about to collide. With secrets and lies rising to the surface and the Richards empire at stake, it's going to be a complicated family reunion.

Soccer Aid 2023

More than 74,000 fans will roar Soccer Aid for UNICEF back to Manchester United’s Old Trafford this June. Lionesses’ Euro 2022 winner, and Queen of The Jungle, Jill Scott will captain England – the first time a female player has skippered England in the world’s biggest charity football game.

The Three Lions have not won a Soccer Aid for UNICEF match since 2018. In an effort to win back the trophy, England have unveiled one of their strongest-ever line- ups with 25 names revealed – six of which are making their debuts. More names are set to be announced in the coming weeks.

The British Soap Awards

The British Soap Awards will return to ITV1 & ITVX this summer to once again celebrate the nation’s biggest and most-loved soap operas. 

This year the awards will take place at The Lowry in Salford and will be hosted by Phillip Schofield.  As always, the numerous awards will be presented by an array of well-known faces from across the TV and showbiz world.

Vicky McClure: My Grandad’s War (w/t) 

Ralph McClure is a World War II hero. The 97-year-old Royal Navy veteran helped to invade France during the Normandy Landings - one of the most pivotal and dangerous operations in wartime Britain.

In this one-off special, Vicky will trace her Grandad’s extraordinary story, talking in depth to him at home in Nottingham and then heading back to the Normandy shore to retrace his very personal journey.

Love Island 

This summer Love Island is back in Mallorca and set to return for its tenth sizzling series, as a host of new singletons seek to find love. 

Returning to ITV2 and ITVX, the Islanders must do their best to flirt, date, couple up and in a bid to avoid being ‘dumped’ from the Island. With new arrivals, heads may turn, while others will prove their true feelings. From romance and heart-to-hearts, to betrayal, bombshells and broken hearts, there’s never a dull moment in the ultimate search for love. More texts, fire pit gatherings and challenges await the lovestruck Islanders, meaning there’ll be plenty for them to dish the dirt on in the Beach Hut. Twists and turns will follow every step of the way, with shock recouplings, unexpected breakups and dramatic dumpings.

As the couples attempt to win the hearts of each other – and the public – one couple will ultimately triumph and be crowned Love Island winners for Summer 2023.

BRITBOX UK 

BritBox UK will be streaming thriller series Quirke starring Gabriel Byrne, police drama Hunter starring Hugh Bonneville which is the sequel to drama Five Days.  New films to service include Danny Boyle’s Sunshine, starring Oscar-winner Michelle Yeoh and Peaky Blinders’ Cillian Murphy. 

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