Oscar-nominated actress Andrea Riseborough and Adolescence star Ashley Walters lead the cast of First Woman, ITV’s upcoming six-part drama about a man’s frantic search for answers after his astronaut wife mysteriously disappears.
The series, created by Lydia Yeoman (Curfew) and George Oakes, comes from producers Mammoth Screen, whose drama slate includes the gripping police series The Tower and the acclaimed detective show Endeavour. Meanwhile, Emmy and BAFTA winning Philip Martin (Scoop, The Crown) directs the thriller.
With filming underway in Belfast, find out all we know about the upcoming series below…
What to expect from First Woman
The series follows Ben Reith (Ashley Walters), who is woken in his London home to be told that his wife Claire (Andrea Riseborough) has gone missing.
It sparks a global news story because Claire is an astronaut crewing the UK’s first moonbase and she’s disappeared into the long lunar night.
© Jamie KeithThe synopsis continues: “Claire is the first woman to set foot on the moon. A biologist taking part in a groundbreaking research project, her disappearance throws suspicion on her fellow astronauts and China’s rival base. With hundreds of thousands of miles between them, can Ben uncover the truth behind his wife’s disappearance?”
What have the cast and creatives said about the show?
Leading star Andrea Riseborough said the drama will be “endlessly compelling”. “As a kid, I dreamed, perhaps more than anything, of space,” said the actress. “Of emptiness and stars, and the vastness of all that those ‘grounded’ reflected on in verse. I can’t imagine a kinder, bolder, braver team than Philip and Ashley with whom to step into that realm.”
© Getty ImagesMeanwhile Ashley Walters teased the series as a “bold and propulsive drama”. “I always want to be a part of projects that make us converse and think outside the box. This one does just that,” he said.
Director Philip said he was “blown away” by the scripts which tell “a powerful and deeply moving human drama in such an epic landscape”.
Giving an insight into what fans can expect from the six-parter, Philip continued: “With the action switching between Mission Control in the UK and the lunar surface, this is a race against time like no other, with the remaining astronauts under increasing pressure and Ben hoping against hope that he and his wife can be reunited. But how well can two people really know each other?”
A release date has yet to be confirmed.
© GettyMore sci-fi thrillers to put on your watchlist
- Dark Matter – Joel Edgerton stars as physicist, professor and family man, Jason Dessen, who is abducted into an alternate version of his life while walking home. Watch on Apple TV.
- Alien Earth – Set two years before the events of Ridley Scott’s 1979 classic, the series follows a group of soldiers who come face to face with Earth’s greatest threat when a mysterious spacecraft crash-lands on the planet. Watch on Disney+.
- Star City – The For All Mankind spin-off follows a key moment in the alt-history retelling of the space race, when the Soviet Union became the first nation to put a man on the moon. This time, the story is told from the perspective of the Soviet Union, exploring how cosmonauts, engineers, and intelligence officers risked everything for the ambitious space program. On Apple TV from 29 May.
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