Chasing Shadows is a thrilling, new four-part drama, which focuses on the work of a missing persons field unit charged with tracking down serial killers who prey on impressionable and vulnerable people.

 

Reece Shearsmith (The Widower, Psychoville, The League of Gentleman) will play DS Sean Stone and his partner, Ruth Hattersley is played by Alex Kingston (Marchlands, Arrow, Upstairs Downstairs) whilst Noel Clarke (Star Trek Into Darkness, Doctor Who) takes on the role of DI Prior.

 

On the face of it Sean is intense, socially awkward and a misfit.  Get to know him and you realise he’s a man on a mission even if it leads him to self destruction and his eccentric manner frequently lands him in hot water. He’s obsessed with deciphering codes and uncovering patterns of behaviour particularly in relation to those most at risk, vulnerable missing persons.

 

Ruth, on the other hand, is a stabilising influence.  Maternal, but not mumsy, she’s an analyst from the Missing Persons Bureau tasked to work alongside Sean.  In effect his bosses have sidelined him and she is his lifeline.  Sean refuses to be tethered to Ruth, but eventually learns that he and Ruth make an awesome team. She has the ability to connect with people and has the expertise to trace missing persons. He is socially awkward and struggles to communicate; yet their strengths strike the perfect balance. On paper. In reality, it is a rocky partnership.

 

Chasing Shadows is created and written by Rob Williams (DCI Banks, Holby City), and is due to begin filming shortly in the South East for eight weeks.

 

Chasing Shadows will be produced by the ITV Studios drama team headed by Francis Hopkinson (Lucan, Wallander) who will also executive produce.  Rob Bullock (Legacy, The Suspicions of Mr Whicher) will produce the drama and Christopher Menaul (The Suspicions of Mr Whicher, See No Evil: The Moors Murders) will direct the first self-contained story ‘Only Connect’ across two episodes. The Director of the second story ‘Off Radar’ will be Jim O’Hanlon (In The Flesh, Quirke, The Reckoning).

 

Episode one

 

After criticizing police procedure in the aftermath of the eventual capture of a serial killer, DI Sean Stone is seconded to the Missing Persons Bureau, assigned to a new ‘unit’ with MPB analyst Ruth Hattersley. In reality, Sean’s new assignment is made with the intention of keeping him out of the way. But when Sean comes across the case of a missing 16 year old girl, Taylor, he’s soon back out in the field.