A major new ITV drama is taking us behind the scenes of a world where one headline can change everything, with a huge British TV name stepping into the centre of a story about media law and the battle to protect reputations.
In Contempt will star Jodie Whittaker as Olivia Savareid, a highly successful barrister who has earned a “hot shot” reputation by representing major clients and dealing with expensive legal cases when damaging claims threaten to spread through newspapers or across social media.
Doctor Who and One Night star Jodie says she is “thrilled to be stepping into the role of Olivia Savareid,” calling her an “amazing character” in a world she hasn’t explored before.
At the heart of Olivia’s professional life is her challenging relationship with newspaper News Director Greg Dalman, an experienced journalist who is prepared to push publishing boundaries.
When he believes a story should reach the public, it leaves Olivia to use her legal knowledge to keep him away from serious court battles.
But Olivia’s own life is about to become much more complicated when a major situation at work leads her to make a crucial mistake, suddenly placing her own reputation on the line and forcing someone who has built a career protecting other people’s names to fight for her own.
The six-part series comes from Sherlock writer Steve Thompson and Hartswood Films, with Sue Vertue and Steven Moffat among its executive producers.
Ed Bazalgette will direct ahead of filming beginning in London this autumn and further casting being announced closer to production.
