FILMING COMMENCES FOR ITV’S SUSPENSEFUL CRIME DRAMA CODE OF SILENCE

FILMING COMMENCES FOR ITV’S SUSPENSEFUL CRIME DRAMA CODE OF SILENCE

BRITBOX INTERNATIONAL SERVE AS CO-PRODUCERS

Rose Ayling-Ellis stars in a ground-breaking lead role alongside an impressive supporting cast including Kieron Moore, Charlotte Ritchie and Andrew Buchan

ITV, Mammoth Screen and BritBox has announced today that filming is officially underway for Code of Silence, a unique and thrilling six-part crime drama written by Catherine Moulton (Baptiste, Then You Run, Hijack), who drew on her own experiences with lip-reading and hearing loss to create this compelling six-part series. 

Code of Silence offers a fresh and distinctive perspective on the intersection of crime and communication delivering a gripping and emotional narrative that brings important representation for the Deaf community, together with the support of a diverse cast and crew from the deaf, disabled, and neurodiverse communities. 

Lead director Diarmuid Goggins (Kin, Black Cab, Witness No. 3) brings Code of Silence to life, with Rose Ayling-Ellis in a ground-breaking lead role, supported by an exciting cast.

Joining Rose Ayling-Ellis are Kieron Moore (Vampire Academy, Masters of the Air, The Corps) who plays suspect Liam Bayne, Charlotte Ritchie (Ghosts, You) as DS Ashleigh Francis, and Andrew Buchan (Broadchurch, The Honourable Woman) as DI James Marsh. 

The cast also includes Nathan Armarkwei Laryea (The Witcher), Joe Absolom (Doc Martin, A Confession), Beth Goddard (The Serpent Queen, Manhunt), Andrew Scarborough (Emmerdale, Wolfblood), presenter Rolf Choutan who is making his acting debut, and Fifi Garfield (Coffee Morning Club, Deaf Funny).

Code of Silence is told through the point of view of Alison Brooks (Rose Ayling-Ellis), a Deaf canteen worker. Alison is struggling to make ends meet, juggling two jobs, one in a police canteen and another in a local bar, while also doing her best to support her Deaf mum, Julie (Fifi Garfield). It’s not long before Alison is pulled into a high-stakes police investigation when DS Ashleigh Francis (Charlotte Ritchie) asks that she use her lip-reading skills to monitor a dangerous criminal gang. As her interpretation of their covert conversations becomes central to the investigation, Alison is plunged into an exhilarating new world. Her role quickly becomes key to unlocking the police case, but her feelings become complicated when she finds herself drawn to one of the suspects, Liam Bayne (Kieron Moore). Despite knowing the risks and the growing threat to her personal life, Alison can’t let go.

ITV’s Director of Drama, Polly Hill, will oversee production of the series from the channel’s perspective. Bryony Arnold and Damien Timmer executive produce for Mammoth Screen, with Robert Schildhouse and Stephen Nye executive producing for BritBox, alongside Rose Ayling-Ellis and Catherine Moulton. Chanya Button (Dr Who, World on Fire, Vita & Virginia) directs the latter half of the series, with writers Will Truefitt and Benji Walters respectively writing episodes 3 & 4.

Code of Silence will premiere on ITV1 and be available for streaming on ITVX. 

The series will premiere on BritBox in the US and Canada in 2025. 

The drama will be distributed internationally by ITV Studios.

Production company Mammoth Screen is part of ITV Studios.

Notes to editors: 

BAFTA ‘Breakthrough Brit’ Rose Ayling-Ellis MBE recently became the first deaf presenter of live sport when she presented at the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris, for which she has been nominated in the Under 30 Gamechanger / Innovator of the Year category at the 2024 Broadcast Sports Awards. 

Her 2023 documentary Signs for Change, created with Rogan Productions, was nominated for a 2024 BAFTA Craft Award and Rose was shortlisted for ‘Best Documentary Presenter’ at the Grierson 2024 British Documentary Awards. The BBC announced her new two-part documentary series with the company, Signs for Living, at this year’s Edinburgh TV Festival.

Also this year, Rose worked on BBC thriller Reunion and will next film Mammoth Screen’s Code of Silence for ITV. She starred in an episode of the 20th-anniversary series of the BBC’s Who Do You Think You Are which was broadcast on BBC One on 5th September.

Last year she made her stage debut as ‘Celia’ in Josie Rourke’s As You Like It and received the Stage Debut Award for ‘Best West End Debut’, an Olivier Award nomination for ‘Best Actress in a Supporting Role’, and a prestigious Ian Charleson Award nomination for the role.

Coming up, Rose will author a range of children’s books with DK.

For the image of Rose Ayling-Ellis please credit: Yellowbelly