image credit: ITV Studios
The major new ITV Drama, Flesh and Blood, filmed on location in Normans Bay, has been confirmed for broadcast in February.
The original thriller Flesh and Blood is a modern story of three adult siblings, exploring universal themes of relationships, trust, loyalty and love against the backdrop of the build-up to, and aftermath of, a tragic crime.
The already dysfunctional lives of Helen, Jake and Natalie are thrown into disarray when their recently widowed mother Vivien declares she’s in love with a new man. Their suspicions are heightened as retired surgeon Mark sweeps their mother off her feet, shifting her priorities away from her children.
Years of secrets, lies, rivalries and betrayals come to the surface and threaten to blow apart everything they’ve held dear. And through it all, Vivien’s overly attentive neighbour Mary quietly watches on, unhealthily attached to them all.
With their large family home, inheritance and happy childhood memories all at risk, the siblings attempt to find out more about Mark. But will their long-buried grudges, complex relationships and complicated personal lives allow them to pull together? After all, our brothers and sisters can be our closest allies or our sworn enemies – often in the space of a heartbeat. And how will Mary play into this fractious situation, with her ongoing attempts to subtly involve herself in Vivien’s life?
Weaving together a truthful family drama and a compelling investigation that doesn’t reveal the victim until the very end, Flesh and Blood proves that we can never really know what’s going on behind closed doors.
Polly Hill, ITV Head of Drama said ““Sarah Williams perfectly captures the messy personal lives of the three siblings, and all is not what it seems. It’s a very original story”.
Writer Sarah Williams commented, “coming from a big family myself, I’ve always been fascinated by sibling dynamics. Our brothers and sisters can be our closest allies or our sworn enemies – often in the space of a heartbeat. There’s a bond between siblings that was formed before we were fully conscious beings – something bone-deep and instinctual. No one can make us laugh as hard or wound us as deeply as our family – and that seemed to me incredibly rich territory for a drama.” -
Flesh and Blood promises a stellar cast including:
Francesca Annis (Jane Eyre, Home Fires)
Imelda Staunton (Downton Abbey, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix)
Stephen Rea (Michael Collins, V for Vendetta)
Russell Tovey (Years and Years, Being Human)
The original drama is directed by Louise Hooper (Cheat, Stan Lee’s Lucky Man). The writer, Sarah Williams was also rsponsible for The Long Song and Becoming Jane.
