The Crown’s Jason Watkins will pair with Cold Feet’s Tala Gouveia for a new detective franchise set in Bath.
Commissioned by ITV, Invisible will see the pair investigate a murder in the Somerset city’s high society and tackle an unexplained death in a private hospital for recovering addicts.
The broadcaster has ordered two feature-length films from Mammoth Screen, the producer behind Victoria and Poldark.
Trollied and W1A star Watkins, who will play former prime minister Harold Wilson in series three of Netflix’s The Crown, takes on the role of shy and retiring DS Dodds, who is paired with Gouveia’s ambitious DCI McDonald.
Recently transferred from south London, McDonald is driven and aspirational while Dodds has spent much of career on the sidelines.
However, working alongside his new partner, Dodds discovers a knack for deciphering puzzles.
Filming for Invisible, commissioned by ITV’s head of drama Polly Hill, begins in August.
Hill said: “Invisible will be executive produced by Robert Murphy and by Preethi Mavahalli and Damien Timmer for Mammoth, and filmed on location in the West Country.
“Richard Senior will direct the first feature-length episode.
“ITV’s drama commissioner, Huw Kennair Jones, will oversee production of the drama from the channel’s perspective.”
Mammoth Screen boss Timmer added: “We’re delighted to have Tala Gouveia and Jason Watkins on board to bring the McDonald and Dodds to life.
“With the city of modern Bath as the backdrop to their double act, and with Robert’s scripts which crackle with wit, modernity and cleverness, I’m confident viewers will be gripped as they investigate their first intriguing cases together.”
ITV Studios Global Entertainment will distribute Invisible internationally.