ITV May 2023 monthly highlights

ITV May 2023 monthly highlights

Coming to ITVX, ITV1 and BritBox UK in May

• Highlights on ITVX this month include a brand new reimagining of a classic tale Tom Jones starring Solly McLeod and true crime documentary Rolf Harris: Hiding in Plain Sight 
• Jonathan Ross: Must Watch Films and Tom Jones streaming on ITVX from 04/05
• Crime streaming on ITVX from 11/05
• Rolf Harris: Hiding in Plain Sight (w/t) streaming on ITVX from 18/05
• May highlights on ITV1 include Without Sin and shocking drama Maryland starring Suranne Jones

4th May

ITVX

Exclusives:

Jonathan Ross: Must Watch Films

The fourth installment of Jonathan Ross’ monthly film recommendations will cover cult favourites including The Big Lebowski starring Jeff Bridges as The Dude himself, The Crow starring Brandon Lee, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World starring Michael Cera, John Carpenter’s Escape from LA, epic war film Apocalypse Now, infamous thriller Basic Instinct and more.

Tom Jones 

A reimagining of The History of Tom Jones, A Foundling based on Henry Fielding’s classic novel. A picaresque story of the title character’s complicated journey to find real love, Tom Jones has delighted and scandalized readers since it was originally published in 1749.

Solly McLeod (The Rising) stars as the hero Tom, alongside Sophie Wilde (You Don’t Know Me) as the heroine Sophia Western. The series also stars Hannah Waddingham (Ted Lasso), who will also be co-hosting the Eurovision song contest this month. 

Series: 

My Crazy Ex-Girlfriend (2015-2019)   

Still pining for Josh, the boy who dumped her ages ago, whip-smart lawyer Rebecca jettisons her New York life and moves to California to win him back. Starring Rachel Bloom. 

Films (from 1st May): 

Films new to the service this month include Only Fools and Horses documentary Boycie in Belgrade, action-thriller Braven starring Jason Momoa, stunning epic Hero directed by Yimou Zhang, comic book adaptation Sin City, 90s classics City Slickers and Good Will Hunting, Rules of Engagement starring Tommy Lee Jones and Samuel L Jackson, The Hours starring Meryl Streep, biopcs I Am Ali, Marley, and Mo Farah: No Easy Mile plus many more. 

11th May

Exclusives:

Crime (2022)

Crime is the highly acclaimed original crime thriller adapted from the best-selling novel by Irvine Welsh.  

Set in Edinburgh, the six-episode series stars BAFTA and International Emmy award-winning Dougray Scott as Detective Inspector Ray Lennox, who is investigating the disappearance of a schoolgirl while battling his own personal demons. The series also stars Joanna Vanderham as DS Amanda Drummond, Angela Griffin as Trudi Lowe, Ken Stott as Chief Superintendent Bob Toal and Jamie Sives as Detective Inspector Dougie Gillman.

A second series has been recommissioned for ITVX.

Series: 

Medium (2005-2010)

All seven series of the popular American supernatural drama in which Allison Dubois (Patricia Arquette) uses her psychic abilities to help the local law enforcement. With the information coming to her in cryptic dreams and visions, Allison often misinterprets these paranormal clues, hindering her constant efforts to convince skeptics of her gift and often leading to a race against the clock to crack violent and horrific crimes and bring the right criminals to justice.

18th May

Exclusive:

Rolf Harris: Hiding in Plain Sight (w/t) 

Rolf Harris led a toxic double-life, molesting contributors and crew on the shows he worked on for years. Almost a decade on from his arrest, the films speak directly to Harris’ accusers, telling the story of how his assaults became gradually more serious throughout his excelling television career in the 70s and 80s.

The two episodes will document Harris’ public persona of a non-threatening eccentric who was devoted to his wife whilst revealing that actually, within the industry, Harris was increasingly known as a creep. Police began investigating him in the wake of the Saville scandal, and discovered that the truth was even darker than that - he had abused his daughter’s friend when she was just 13.

Series:

30 Rock (2006-2013) 

Tune in to every hilarious episode from this multi-award winning hit series. Created by and starring Primetime Emmy and Golden Globe winner Tina Fey, paired up with fellow Primetime Emmy and Golden Globe winner Alec Baldwin, as quirky TV writer Liz Lemon and conservative company executive Jack Donaghy, bound together by chaos, charisma and employment contracts! Together Jack and Liz preside over the everyday mayhem at a late night variety show with no help from Liz’s loose cannon stars Tracy Jordan (Tracy Morgan) and Jenna Maroney (Jane Krakowski) and hapless NBC page Kenneth Parcell (Jack McBrayer).

25th May 

Series: 

Heroes (2006-2010) 

Experience all the suspense, action, and shocking twists of the phenomenal series, Heroes, and follow the lives of seemingly unconnected, ordinary people around the globe who discover they have extraordinary abilities.

Set against the backdrop of 19th century France, Les Misérables tells an enthralling story of broken dreams and unrequited love, passion, sacrifice and redemption--a timeless testament to the survival of the human spirit. Jackman plays ex-prisoner Jean Valjean, hunted for decades by the ruthless policeman Javert (Crowe) after he breaks parole. When Valjean agrees to care for factory worker Fantine’s (Hathaway) young daughter, Cosette, their lives change forever.

ITV1

Dates to be confirmed in due course

Without Sin

Psychological thriller Without Sin explores the relationship which develops between a grieving mother and the man she believes murdered her daughter.

In this four-part drama, Vicky McClure (Line of Duty, This is England, Broadchurch, Trigger Point) plays the role of grieving mother, Stella Tomlinson, whose 14-year-old daughter Maisy, is found dead at their family home with the bloodied, hooded figure of Charles Stone (Johnny Harris - The Salisbury Poisonings, Medici, Troy: Fall of a City) standing over her. 

Maryland

Acclaimed actor Eve Best (House of the Dragon, Nurse Jackie) and Oscar nominated Stockard Channing (The Good Wife, The West Wing) are among the stellar cast joining Suranne Jones (Gentleman Jack, Save Me, Vigil) in the new three-part drama Maryland.

The series focuses on the relationship between two sisters, down-to-earth mother of two Becca (Jones) and disciplined high-flyer Rosaline (Best) who have been driven apart by complex family dynamics.  But when the body of an older woman is discovered at sunrise on Laxey Beach in the Isle of Man, it brings devastating news for the sisters.

Becca and Rosaline travel to the Isle of Man to repatriate the body of their mother, Mary, leaving their father Richard (George Costigan - Gentleman Jack, Happy Valley) at home in Manchester. Confined on the island, they discover shocking information about their mother and find it impossible to escape the ripple effect of her secrets and lies. 

BRITBOX UK 

In May on BritBox subscribers can look forward to a wonderful collection of crime drama. Both series of gritty prison drama The Governor starring Janet McTeer will be available from 5th May, Rellik, the crime drama told in reverse starring Richard Dormer and Jodi Balfour will stream from 11th May, all three seasons of Kingdom, starring Stephen Fry as as rural Norfolk solicitor Peter Kingdom will stream from 18th May, and finally police drama The  Holiday starring Jill Halfpenny will be available to stream from 25th May.

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