ITV Orders Graham Norton Adaptation 'Holding', Conleth Hill To Star – TVWise

Holding is coming to the small screen. ITV has ordered a four-part adaptation of Graham Norton’s debut novel that has Conleth Hill (Game Of Thrones) attached to star in the lead role. Filming will take place this summer on location in Ireland.
Holding is set in the insular fictional village of Duneen, West Cork, on the edge of Ireland, a place with its own climate and rhythms. Local police officer, Sergeant PJ Collins (Hill), is a gentle mountain of a man, who hides from people and fills his days with comfort food and half-hearted police work.
When the body of long-lost local legend Tommy Burke is discovered, PJ is called to solve a serious crime for the first time in his career. PJ finally has to connect with the village he has tried hard to avoid. Dominic Treadwell-Collins and Karen Cogan are penning the adaptation, which is set up at Happy Prince and Port Pictures. Martina Niland is the series producer, while Kathy Burke is attached to direct.
“Graham’s wonderful book has been brilliantly brought to life by Dom and Karen. Conleth Hill is the perfect PJ, in what is a funny and well observed look at life in a small rural Irish community”, said ITV’s Head of Drama Poly Hill, who commissioned the adaptation on behalf of the broadcaster. “It’s testament to the strength of those scripts that Kathy Burke is directing and it will be exciting to see her bring this adaptation to screen.”
“It’s so exciting to be able to bring Graham’s beautiful novel to the screen with the creative powerhouses that are Kathy Burke and Karen Cogan, with the brilliant Martina Niland producing”, commented Dominic Treadwell-Collins. “To be writing my first scripts alongside Karen and to film with Conleth and such a talented Irish cast and crew in West Cork – where my father was from and my family still are – makes this even more special.”
While Karen Cogan added: “The nuance and heart Graham captured in Holding really appealed to me and it’s been a pleasure to delve into these characters’ lives to bring them to screen. Working with the clearly magnificent Dominic Treadwell-Collins and Kathy Burke is joyful; and as a Cork woman, it’s especially lovely to be coming home to shoot with Irish cast and crew and this powerful team.”