‘Fool Me Once’ Star Richard Armitage & Annabel Scholey Leading Police Procedural ‘Winter’ For PBS & ITV
Fool Me Once star Richard Armitage and Annabel Scholey (Rivals) are leading a police procedural for PBS Masterpiece and ITV about one of the most gifted pathologists of his generation.
Based on long-running French crime series Balthazar, Winter follows the titular Ethan Winter, who possesses an analytical mind capable of deductive reasoning, which perfectly complements DI Lauren Bell (Scholey), a no-nonsense detective who is as driven as Winter when working on a case. Together they use Winter’s genius and insight into the victims alongside Bell and her murder squad detectives. Yet Winter is harboring a secret. The unsolved murder of someone close to him still haunts his every move.
The show is the latest collab between PBS and ITV, joining the likes of Downton Abbey, Grantchester and Professor T. ITV Studios-owned Eagle Eye is producing and ITV Studios is distributing. Eagle Eye has adapted other European series for the UK such as Professor T, which is based on a Belgian show of the same name, and The Couple Next Door, which comes from a Dutch series.
“The team behind Winter are second to none and the ambition of David Allison’s scripts is very exciting and will attempt to shake up the genre that we’ve grown to love,” said Masterpiece head of scripted and EP Susanne Simpson. “Ethan Winter is a compelling character treading the line between diligent professional and reckless maverick. He has a painful secret and a fatalistic self-destruct button over which his finger constantly hovers.”
Winter will be directed by Dries Vos (The Couple Next Door, Professor T) and Kaat Beels (Professor T, The Twelve) with Matt Baker (Professor T) producing. Jo McGrath and Walter Iuzzolino will executive produce the series on behalf of Eagle Eye. The series is adapted by Allison (The Couple Next Door) and Mark Greig (Ashes to Ashes). Filming is due to commence in Bristol and Belgium during early 2026. Winter is supported by the Belgian Tax Shelter.
