ITV has pulled back the curtain on its 2026 drama slate – and one of the standout moments is Michelle Keegan making her long-awaited return to the channel.
It’s been eight years since she last fronted an ITV series, playing Tina Moore in the biopic Tina and Bobby back in 2017. Long-time viewers will also remember her earlier stint as Corrie’s Tina McIntyre, a role she held from 2008 to 2014.
So what tempted her back for The Blame? And what else has ITV slipped into its winter line-up? Here are the standout dramas to keep on your radar for 2026.
ITV dramas coming up in 2026: The Blame starring Michelle Keegan
The Blame is an upcoming thriller centred around DI Emma Crane and DI Tom Radley, played by Michelle Keegan and Douglas Booth in the cast. They are called to investigate a tragic murder in the fictional town of Wakestead.
They quickly identify their main suspect… But, as the case progresses, an unexpected lead comes to light. As Emma and Tom dig deeper, they “uncover a web of lies, institutional cover-ups and moral compromise”. The case forces Emma to question the people closest to her.
ITV tells us the series is “part propulsive mystery, part social commentary, part love story”. They add: “The Blame will tackle big questions around policing and will take an unflinching look at who we can really trust.”
The Blame is based on the debut novel of the same name by Charlotte Langle. Shetland’s Ian Hart also joins the cast, alongside Line of Duty actor Nigel Boyle. The Bay’s Joe Armstrong, and Slow Horses’ Gavin Spokes also feature in the ensemble cast.
The Party on ITV
The Party is a five-part drama starring The Pembrokeshire Murders actor Luke Evans. He plays Martin Gilmour, a journalist shaped by his lifelong friendship with the wealthy and charismatic politician Ben Fitzmaurice, played Trespasses’ Tom Cullen
Based on the acclaimed novel by Elizabeth Day, the drama will move between Ben’s lavish birthday party and a police investigation that follows, with flashbacks to the pair’s party days.
Luke Evans said the drama is a “gripping exploration of loyalty, class, and the truths we hide”. The plot will see Martin win a scholarship to an elite boarding school, where he meets Ben, after being raised alone by his working class mother, Sylvia, who is played by Riot Women star Joanna Scanlan.
Gemma Arterton in Secret Service
Actress Gemma Arterton leads the cast in Secret Service, a gripping espionage thriller adapted from ITV News anchor Tom Bradby’s tense and timely novel.
Set against today’s fraught political landscape, Secret Service explores long-standing tensions between Russia and the UK, raising pressing questions about foreign influence in British politics.
At the heart of the drama are Kate and Stuart – a seemingly ordinary couple who are actually anything but. Unbeknownst to most, Civil Servant Kate actually mans the Russia Desk at MI6, spending her days dealing with shady characters and dodging close calls.
Gemma Arterton takes the lead as Kate Henderson, the MI6 operative plunged into action, while Rafe Spall stars as her husband Stuart.
ITV dramas in 2026: Adultery
New scandalous drama Adultery is led by Dominic Cooper and Romola Garai, and written and created by Danny Brocklehurst. Described as a “provocative love story”, it raises questions about class, grief, and the effects of social media.
ITV tells us the upcoming drama will “take the viewer on a rollercoaster story of passion, parenthood and peril, as Tom Kirkman and Beth Brookes embark upon a passionate and intense love affair that threatens to uproot their whole lives”.
The scandalous romantic drama follows a man and a woman who share “an immediate, intense connection” – despite the consequences. Oh, and their children are up to all sorts, too.
The six-part drama is coming to ITV soon.
Red Eye series 2
ITV thriller Red Eye is back for another series, this time with Martin Compston taking the lead alongside returning star Jing Lusi as DS Hana Li.
In Red Eye series 2, DS Hana Li works alongside Compston’s Head of Embassy Security, Clay Brody. Together, they must set aside past differences to solve a “new high-stakes conspiracy”.
A synopsis tells us: “Inside the US Embassy, the celebrations for a newly-appointed US Ambassador to London are shattered when officials receive a threatening call. The caller will blow a British plane out of the sky if anyone leaves the embassy. This triggers an immediate embassy lockdown and traps guests and staff inside.”
And that’s when the murders begin… Red Eye lands on ITV1 on New Year’s Day at 9pm on ITV1.
The Lady
New 2026 drama The Lady is a gripping four‑part drama charting the “extraordinary rise and fall of Jane Andrews from Buckingham Palace to convicted murderer”.
Fact is stranger than fiction, and this true crime drama focuses on young working-class girl Jane Andrews. To the astonishment of her friends and family, she became the then Duchess of York’s dresser at Buckingham Palace.
Moving amongst the highest social circles in Britain, Jane managed to secure a place in the upper-classes, only to lose her job after nine years of service.
A synopsis tells us: “Still reeling from her fall from grace, Jane went on to meet charismatic businessman Thomas Cressman and fell deeply in love. But soon cracks began to develop in the romance Jane had pinned all her hopes on, with disastrous consequences.”
Fergie’s former aide Jane Andrews went on to kill her wealthy boyfriend Tom. She beat him in bed with a cricket bat and stabbed him in the heart with a kitchen knife.
Vampire Academy’s Mia McKenna‑Bruce plays Jane Andrews in the drama, which also stars Natalie Dormer as Sarah Ferguson.
Dramas coming to ITV in 2026: Betrayal
Endeavour star Shaun Evans leads the cast of Betrayal, “a gripping four-part thriller about trust, truth, and the personal cost of secrecy in the modern intelligence world”.
The brand new spy thriller describes Shaun Evans’ character John Hughes as a “troubled operative in the clandestine world of MI5”. He’s a spy trying to avert a serious and dark threat to national security while making sense of his own place in the world…
John Hughes joined MI5 during the war on terror and was at the forefront of averting the biggest terrorist plots on UK soil. Now, in his mid 40s and married with two children, he’s struggling to adapt to the new MI5. In this world, threats to national security have changed and he’s forced to adapt…
The cast also includes the always-brilliant Romola Garai as John’s partner, Claire, and Zahra Ahmadi as a sharp, ambitious operative who has recently transferred from MI6, challenging John’s professional standing and emotional control.
Gone
New thriller Gone is set against the backdrop of a prestigious private school, a foreboding forest and the quiet sprawl of Bristol.
Starring David Morrissey and Eve Myles, the chilling mystery focuses on local Headmaster Michael Polly who becomes the prime suspect in his wife Sarah’s disappearance. It’s down to Detective Annie Cassidy to chip away at his veneer in search of the truth…
The synopsis tell us: “An upstanding member of the community, Michael Polly is inscrutable and likes order and precision in his working life. Until, that is, he encounters super bright, gutsy Detective Annie Cassidy. A compulsive game of cat and mouse begins as she chips away at his veneer in search of the truth.”
Talking about the drama, ITV’s Director of Drama Polly Hill teased a “brilliant new police procedural” that will “keep the audience guessing”.
Jon Worboys’ crime drama Believe Me
Believe Me charts the harrowing experiences of three women targeted by one of Britain’s most prolific sex attackers, John Worboys.
Operating behind the guise of a “respectable” black-cab driver, Worboys carried out countless assaults while the Metropolitan Police repeatedly overlooked the warnings raised by these brave women. Refusing to be silenced, they pushed back against a system that initially failed them, fighting relentlessly to bring their cases to court.
Slow Horses star Aimée-Ffion Edwards, Industry’s Miriam Petche and Bloods’ Aasiya Shah portray the survivors whose determination eventually exposed the truth. Des actor Daniel Mays steps into the chilling role of Worboys, the predator infamously known as the “black cab rapist”.
What else is coming to ITV in 2026?
Grace, Grantchester, After The Flood and Professor T are all gearing up for big comebacks on ITV in 2026. And loyal viewers will be thrilled to hear that Piglets is trotting back too after its rave reviews.
The hit comedy will reunite Mark Heap and Sarah Parish for a second outing, with the pair set to dive into even more chaotic misadventures. Fans adored the first series, so expectations are already sky-high for what the duo get up to next.
Read more: Harlen Coben’s new Netflix thriller Run Away promises ‘deep secrets’ and twists at every corner
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