5 Acts Productions Options Clare Mackintosh’s ‘The Last Party’
ITV Studios' label 5 Acts Productions has optioned the rights to Clare Mackintosh' new thriller The Last Party. The novel, which is set to be the first in a series, is due to be published next month. The Last Party follows DC Ffion Morgan as she investigates the murder of Rhys Lloyd, a home-grown hero who has returned to build controversial holiday homes on the shore of Llyn Drych (Mirror Lake), but who is found floating dead in the water on New Year’s Day, the morning after a party that brought together the feuding community. Morgan has to scrutinise her neighbours, friends and family but in a village with this many secrets, a murder is just the beginning. 
The A Word is getting a spin-off. BBC One has ordered Ralph And Katie, a spin-off of the Peter Bowker penned drama series. Leon Harrop and Sarah Gordy are on-board to reprise their roles from The A Word. Six episodes have been ordered for the show's first season. 
BBC Two has acquired the rights to period drama Harlots after striking a deal with international distributor ITV Studios. The deal, which was brokered by the BBC's Head of Programme Acquisition Sue Deeks, covers all three seasons of the show. Seasons one and two will air back-to-back on BBC Two later this year, with the third and final season airing at a later date. 
Dominic Treadwell-Collins is heading to ITV Studios. The former Head of Television for Blueprint Pictures is setting up a new scripted label with the company. The new label will focus on creating high-end returning series for the UK and international market and will be based out of ITV Studios' London headquarters. 
ITV has released the trailer for their upcoming factual drama A Confession, which is set to premiere next month. Based on a true story, A Confession tells the story of how Detective Superintendent Steve Fulcher deliberately breached police procedure and protocol to catch a killer, a decision that ultimately cost him his career and reputation. 
BBC One has released a first look image of Stephen Merchant (Extras, The Office) in character as Stephen Port from their upcoming three-part factual drama The Barking Murders. 
BBC One has released a first look image of Sheridan Smith (The Moorside, Mrs Biggs) in their upcoming three-part factual drama The Barking Murders. The Barking Murders will go beneath the headlines of the Stephen Port case to shed new light on this story by telling it from the point of view of the families of the victims, focusing on their fight to uncover the truth about what had happened to their lost sons and brothers in the face of a now widely criticised police investigation. 