Doctor Who star confirmed to lead new ITV legal drama In Contempt from Sherlock writer

ITV has announced a brand-new legal drama titled In Contempt, which will be led by Doctor Who star Jodie Whittaker and written by Sherlock's Steve Thompson.

The series will also be executive produced by Sue Vertue and Steven Moffat, who worked with Thompson on Sherlock, and produced by their Hartswood Films company. It will begin filming in London in the autumn, with further casting to be announced.

In the series, Whittaker will be playing barrister Olivia Savareid, who has built a career defending people’s reputations and engaging in multi-million pounds litigation to prevent their good names from being destroyed on social media.

The synopsis for the series says that it "establishes Olivia’s challenging working relationship with News Director Greg Dalman, who edits a London daily newspaper".

The synopsis continues: "He’s a smart operator, prone to pushing the boundaries of what he can publish. As a journalist of 26 years’ experience, he’s forged a reputation for taking no prisoners and is capable of behaving recklessly if he believes it’s in the public interest to break a story.

"He’s a risk-taker and as his legal counsel, Olivia must summon all her skills and expertise to keep him out of libel court. A mother to a 15-year-old daughter, Olivia also has responsibilities to her family, but when an explosive situation erupts at work, she makes a crucial misjudgement. Olivia’s own reputation is suddenly on the line.

"In the insidious world of management reputation, defamation, libel and slander, where treacherous behaviour knows no bounds, Olivia will have to keep her wits about her and fight to survive."

Whittaker said in a statement: "I am thrilled to be stepping into the role of Olivia Savareid. This is an amazing character in a world I haven’t explored before. Steve Thompson’s writing is an absolute joy to work with and I’m so excited to be embarking on this adventure with such a brilliant creative team at Hartswood Films and ITV."

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Meanwhile, Thompson said of the series: "I am thrilled to be working with Hartswood Films again and with the team at ITV. In Contempt is a signature piece for me – a story I have been eager to tell. It unpacks the challenging relationship between the media and the law – between the freedom of the press and people’s right to privacy.

"In a world where all of us are surfing the net, hungry for the latest gossip, this drama takes us behind the curtain and shows us the lawyers who are in the vanguard of that fight."

Most recently, Whittaker has been seen starring in the BBC's Dear England and in the Netflix film Office Romance, while she will later this year make an appearance in Only Murders in the Building season 6.

Beyond Sherlock, Thompson's other work includes creating the recent series Prime Target and Lynley, as well as writing episodes on Prime Video's Young Sherlock.

In Contempt will air on ITV.

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Authors

James Hibbs is a Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering programmes across both streaming platforms and linear channels. He previously worked in PR, first for a B2B agency and subsequently for international TV production company Fremantle. He possesses a BA in English and Theatre Studies and an NCTJ Level 5 Diploma in Journalism.