Winter: Richard Armitage Leads ITV’s New Forensic Crime Drama

ITV is introducing a new detective team this week with Winter, a six-part forensic crime drama set in Bristol and led by Richard Armitage and Annabel Scholey.

Armitage stars as Dr Ethan Winter, an unconventional forensic pathologist whose exceptional eye for detail and deep understanding of the human body allow him to spot clues others overlook. Scholey plays DI Lauren Bell, a meticulous and determined detective whose investigative instincts both complement and challenge Winter’s methods.

The series begins on ITV1 on Wednesday, September 30, at 9pm, with all six episodes also being released as a box set. It will subsequently be available on ITVX, as well as STV and STV Player.

For fans of forensic mysteries such as Silent Witness, Winter offers a familiar investigative setup with an unusual central partnership and a darker personal story running beneath the individual cases.

A Brilliant Pathologist With a Secret

Dr Ethan Winter is introduced as one of the most gifted pathologists of his generation.

His ability to analyse bodies and identify details that others miss makes him an invaluable part of the murder investigations handled by Bell and her team. But his unconventional, rule-breaking approach does not always make him easy to work with.

Winter also has a personal reason for becoming so consumed by the dead.

Ten years earlier, someone close to him was murdered. The case was eventually closed and another man was imprisoned, but Winter has never stopped questioning what really happened.

His suspicions are reignited when a recent suicide arrives in the laboratory carrying a disturbing clue that appears to echo the earlier death.

The discovery leaves Winter convinced that the wrong person may be behind bars and that the real killer could still be free.

He begins investigating the old case unofficially, creating a personal storyline that continues throughout the six-part series. Each episode, meanwhile, features its own self-contained murder mystery.

Winter and Lauren Bell Make an Unusual Partnership

Bell initially has her doubts about Winter.

Played by Annabel Scholey, Lauren is a no-nonsense detective who approaches cases methodically and is reluctant to be drawn too deeply into Winter’s unconventional way of working.

Their differences become part of what drives the series.

Winter relies heavily on forensic evidence and his ability to read the clues left behind by victims, while Bell brings the perspective of an experienced investigator. Together, their contrasting approaches allow them to see different sides of the same case.

Scholey has described the relationship as particularly challenging because the cases often leave the pair with very few obvious leads.

She also highlighted the unusual nature of the mysteries, saying that the cases have a “Sherlock vibe” and can be “a bit out of the ordinary.”

The opening case certainly fits that description, beginning with the discovery of a frozen Jane Doe.

The investigations also take Winter and Bell to a range of locations, with the series incorporating stunts and more theatrical elements alongside its forensic work.

Jamie Kenna Joins the Investigation

The central team is completed by DS Ellis Daldry, played by Jamie Kenna.

Daldry has spent years in the police force and brings valuable local knowledge to Bell’s newly formed team.

Bell is his boss, but their relationship quickly develops into one built on mutual respect. She appreciates his experience and easygoing personality, while Daldry recognises that Bell is highly capable and dedicated to her work.

Their partnership also provides some lighter moments.

According to Scholey, Bell helps bring Daldry into the modern age because he has little interest in computers or mobile phones and would much rather rely on his notebook.

That contrast gives the team another distinct dynamic alongside the more complicated relationship between Bell and Winter.

A Forensic Mystery With a Personal Story Running Through It

While each episode presents a separate murder investigation, Winter also has a larger mystery connecting the season.

Winter’s unresolved grief over the death of someone close to him continues to shape his decisions as he works to determine whether the original case was wrongly solved.

That personal investigation threatens to blur the boundary between his professional responsibilities and his own desire for answers.

ITV describes the series as a police procedural built around an unconventional forensic pathologist whose intelligence and rule-breaking approach help solve complex murder cases. The show is based on the French crime series Balthazar, created by Clothilde Jamin and Clélia Constantine and produced by Beaubourg Stories.

The British adaptation was written by David Allison and Mark Greig, with Dries Vos and Kaat Beels directing. It is produced by Eagle Eye Drama, co-produced with MASTERPIECE and made in association with ITV Studios and Happy Duck Films.

A Strong Supporting Cast

Alongside Armitage, Scholey and Kenna, the series features Carlotta Banat, Josh Barrow, Adwoa Akoto, Jay Taylor, Rishi Rian, Deirdre Mullins, Ellis Elijah and Evie Coles.

The drama was filmed in Bristol and Belgium, with Bristol providing the setting for Winter’s investigations. Production began in early 2026.

The combination of a self-contained case structure and a continuing mystery gives the series two different kinds of momentum: viewers can follow a new investigation in each episode while gradually learning more about the tragedy that continues to haunt Winter.

When to Watch Winter

Winter premieres on ITV1 on Wednesday, September 30, 2026, at 9pm, with all six episodes available as a box set from launch. The series will also stream on ITVX and STV Player.

With Richard Armitage at the centre of an unconventional forensic team, Annabel Scholey bringing a more methodical investigative perspective and a personal murder mystery unfolding alongside the weekly cases, Winter offers ITV viewers a new take on the familiar British crime procedural.