First Image BBC Ones Surveillance Thriller The Capture

BBC One has released the first official image from its upcoming surveillance thriller The Capture, offering audiences an early look at one of its most topical drama commissions in recent years.

The series is written and created by Ben Chanan, whose background in documentary filmmaking heavily influences the show’s themes. The Capture explores the disturbing implications of modern surveillance culture, digital manipulation and the growing inability to distinguish truth from fiction in the age of ubiquitous cameras.

The newly released image places its central characters in a stark, contemporary London setting, dominated by screens, reflections and artificial light. The visual language immediately reinforces the show’s central concern with observation and control, positioning characters as both watchers and the watched.

The Capture stars Callum Turner as former soldier Shaun Emery, who finds himself accused of a crime despite video evidence suggesting his guilt. However, the series quickly begins to question the reliability of that evidence.

Alongside Turner, Holliday Grainger plays DI Rachel Carey, an investigator tasked with unraveling the case. Her character becomes increasingly aware that the very tools she relies on may be compromised.

The supporting cast includes Ron Perlman and Ben Miles, adding international weight and political intrigue to the story. Their involvement hints at a narrative that extends beyond a single criminal case into wider institutional power.

The Capture arrives at a time of heightened public awareness around deepfakes, manipulated footage and digital misinformation. The BBC has positioned the series as a drama that reflects real-world anxieties rather than speculative science fiction.

BBC One has increasingly invested in contemporary thrillers that tackle technological and political themes, following success with shows such as Bodyguard and Informer. The Capture fits squarely within that strategy.

Filmed largely on location in London, the series uses real urban environments to ground its story in recognisable reality. Surveillance infrastructure is not exaggerated but presented as an everyday presence.

With the first image now released, The Capture is expected to receive a significant promotional push ahead of its broadcast. The BBC is positioning the series as a flagship drama likely to generate debate.

A premiere date has yet to be announced, but anticipation is already building around what promises to be one of BBC One’s most relevant dramas of the year.