Richard Armitage and Annabel Scholey to lead ITV crime series Winter

The new police series Winter, led by Richard Armitage (Fool Me Once) and Annabel Scholey (Rivals), is a joint production by ITV and PBS Masterpiece. Winter is based on the long-running French crime series Balthazar and centers around Ethan Winter (Richard Armitage), an exceptionally gifted pathologist with a sharp analytical mind and a talent for deductive reasoning.


Richard Armitage

Winter's working method seamlessly aligns with that of detective Lauren Bell, played by Annabel Scholey, a pragmatic and determined detective who investigates cases with the same drive as Winter himself.

Together, they solve murder cases by combining Winter's intellect and insight into the victims with Bell's police work and her team's efforts. Meanwhile, Winter struggles with a personal secret: the unresolved murder of someone very dear to him, a trauma that continues to haunt him and influence his behavior.

According to Armitage, Ethan Winter is a complex character who balances between a dutiful professional and a reckless loner, someone with a "self-destructive button" that his finger constantly hovers over.

The series marks another collaboration between PBS and ITV, who previously achieved success together with titles like Downton Abbey, Grantchester, and Professor T (UK).


Annabel Scholey

The production of Winter is managed by Eagle Eye, owned by ITV Studios, which often specializes in adapting European series for a British audience, such as the Belgian Professor T. and the Dutch basis for The Couple Next Door (Nieuwe Buren). Distribution is handled by ITV Studios.

Winter is directed by Dries Vos, known for The Couple Next Door and Professor T (UK), and Kaat Beels, who worked on Professor T. and De twaalf.

Filming is scheduled to begin in early 2026 and will take place in both Bristol and Belgium.