Ellis (TV series)
| Ellis | |
|---|---|
| Also known as | Inspector Ellis |
| Genre | Crime drama Detective Mystery |
| Created by | Paul Logue Siân Ejiwunmi-Le Berre |
| Written by | Paul Logue Siân Ejiwunmi-Le Berre |
| Starring | |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Original language | English |
| No. of series | 2 |
| No. of episodes | 7 |
| Production | |
| Executive producers | Catherine Mackin Bea Tammer Michele Buck Lucy Raffety Siân Ejiwunmi-Le Berre |
| Producer | Chris Martin |
| Running time | 47-92 minutes |
| Production companies |
|
| Original release | |
| Network | Channel 5 |
| Release | 31 October 2024 – present |
Ellis (also titled Inspector Ellis) is a British crime drama television series for Channel 5 starring Sharon D. Clarke as Detective Chief Inspector Ellis. It premiered in the United Kingdom on 31 October 2024 on Channel 5 with a three-part series.
A second series, consisting of four episodes, debuted on 10 March 2026.[1][2]
Premise
DCI Ellis and assistant DS Harper are sent to help failing police investigations at different local police stations.[3]
Cast
Main
- Sharon D. Clarke as DCI Ellis[4][5]
- Andrew Gower as DS Chet Harper[4][5]
Recurring
Episodic
Episode 1: Hanmore
- Wayne Fosket as Michael Edwards[4][5]
- Tom McKay as Eric Mercer[4][5]
- Barry O'Connor as Peter Kelly[4][5]
- Chris Reilly as DCI Jim Belmont[4][5]
- Catherine Walker as Louise Edwards[4][5]
- Michael Wildman as Stephen Mason[4][5]
- Kaye Wragg as Linda Bradley[4][5]
- Noa Baurain as Rain Bradley[4][5]
- Tallulah Evans as Carrie Booth[4][5]
- Beau Gadsdon as Amy Mercer[4][5]
- Freya-Hannan Mills as Maggie Bradley[4][5]
- Brian Markey as Charles Braine[4][5]
- Conor Sánchez as Aaron Kelly
- Daire Scully as Rowan Edwards[4][5]
Episode 2: Callorwell
- Orla Charlton as Carla Duffy
- Tim Dutton as DCI Hain
- Jonathan Harden as Adam Reid
- Stephanie Levi-John as Naomi McKeith
- Paul Mallon as Tim Jones
- Sam Marks as DI Jamie Morrison
- Kirsten Foster as CSI Christine Bennett
- Jenny Kavanagh as Jenny Rawler
- Aoibheann McCann as DC Leah Thompson
- Michael McCloskey-Ooi as Mark Reid
- Fionn Ó Loingsigh as Curtis Keogh
- William Travis as Sergeant Frank Landry
Episode 3: Brindleton
- Josh Bolt as DS Archie Dent
- Amanda Drew as DCI Cotton
- Rina Mahoney as Lydia Green
- Charlie De Melo as Leo Braxton
- Michael Simkins as Gerry Rees-Mortimer
- Charley Webb as Abbie Summerfield
- Mark Field as Kane Harrison
- Harry Marcus as Rory Summerfield
- Tama Matheson as Oz Hoffman
- Jade Matthew as Rachel Hoffman
- Shanaya Rafaat as Soraya Mansoori
- Richard Sherwood as Alex Scanlan
- David Sterne as Foster Lang
Episodes 4 & 5: Ashenham[7]
- John Hollingworth as Malcolm Oliver
- Sasha Desouza-Willock as PC Suravi Kareem
- Joel Morris as Joseph Ward
- Niamh Blackshaw as Jade Bell
- Cariad Lloyd as Pippa Ellerson
- Keir Charles as Chris Ellerson
- Sonny Walker as Kelvin Jones
Production
The series is written by Paul Logue and Siân Ejiwunmi-Le Berre and produced by Company Pictures.[8] The three-part series consisting of two-hour episodes is executive produced by Catherine Mackin, Bea Tammer, Michele Buck and Lucy Raffety. Chris Martin is series producer.[9]
Filming took place in Northern Ireland in the spring of 2024.[10] Filming locations included Dromore in County Down, Gracehill in County Antrim near Ballymena,[11][12]
The series was renewed for a second series with filming scheduled for June 2025.[13]
Broadcast
The series was broadcast on Channel 5 in the UK on 31 October 2024.[14]It was launched internationally shortly after on Acorn TV under the title 'Inspector Ellis'.[15]
The season launched with 'Hanmore' as the pilot and brought in 1.3 million viewers.[16]
Episodes
Series 1 (2024)
| No. overall | No. in series | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | "Hanmore" | Nick Hurran | Siân Ejiwunmi-Le Berre (as Sian Martin) and Paul Logue | 31 October 2024 |
| 2 | 2 | "Callorwell" | Ryan Tohill | Sian Martin, Jessica Ruston | 7 November 2024 |
| 3 | 3 | "Brindleton" | Andy Tohill | Maria Ward | 14 November 2024 |
Series 2 (2026)
| No. overall | No. in series | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 1 | "Ashenham: Part One" | Edward Bazalgette | Siân Ejiwunmi-Le Berre | 10 March 2026 |
| 5 | 2 | "Ashenham: Part Two" | Edward Bazalgette | Siân Ejiwunmi-Le Berre | 11 March 2026 |
| 6 | 3 | "Elmsly: Part One" | Max Myers | Oliver Frampton | 17 March 2026 |
| 7 | 4 | "Elmsly: Part Two" | Max Myers | Oliver Frampton | 18 March 2026 |
Reception
Writing in the Radio Times, Morgan Cormack said the show was "really rather good" and far from the cosy-crime genre that some viewers may have expected, and that it had some "very topical, gritty subject matter that has some eerie real-world similarities". Cormack also states that “Ellis certainly isn't the first enigmatic detective to grace our screens” but felt that scriptwriter Ejiwunmi-Le Berre successfully created a character "that doesn't fall into the stereotypical tropes".[17]
References
- ^ Hibbs, James (26 February 2026). "Ellis season 2 start date finally confirmed as exclusive first look shows off Sharon D Clarke drama's big return". Radio Times. Retrieved 10 March 2026.
- ^ Cormack, Morgan (9 March 2026). "Ellis star reflects on returning to key format feature for season 2: "It's what makes us unique"". Radio Times. Retrieved 10 March 2026.
- ^ Cormack, Morgan (14 February 2024). "Ellis release date speculation: Cast and latest news for Channel 5 detective drama". Radio Times. Retrieved 19 August 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q Clarke, Nathan (31 October 2024). "Channel 5's Ellis - full cast, episodes, plot and filming locations". Birmingham Live. Retrieved 24 April 2025.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q Palmer, Katie (31 October 2024). "Meet the cast of Channel 5's Ellis from Outlander legends to Emmerdale star". Liverpool Echo. Retrieved 24 April 2025.
- ^ Nisbet, Megan (10 March 2026). "Ellis season 2, episode 1 and 2 cast: Who guest stars in Ashenham?". mirror.co.uk. Retrieved 11 March 2026.
- ^ Nisbet, Megan (10 March 2026). "Ellis season 2, episode 1 and 2 cast: Who guest stars in Ashenham?". mirror.co.uk. Retrieved 11 March 2026.
- ^ Warner, Sam (7 February 2024). "Holby City's Sharon D Clarke to lead Channel 5 detective series". Digital Spy. Retrieved 19 August 2024.
- ^ White, Peter (6 February 2024). "Sharon D Clarke To Star In Detective Drama Series 'Ellis' For Acorn TV & UK's Channel 5". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 19 August 2024.
- ^ "New Channel 5 detective drama Ellis to begin filming in Northern Ireland". Belfast Live. 13 February 2024. Retrieved 19 August 2024.
- ^ "County Down town a-stir as Channel 5 breezes in to film police drama 'Ellis'". Newsletter. 5 May 2024. Retrieved 19 August 2024.
- ^ "Gracehill looks the part as 'Hanmore' as latest TV detective drama series begins shooting". Loveballymena. 13 February 2024. Retrieved 19 August 2024.
- ^ McPherson, Chris (13 May 2025). "British Mystery Series 'Inspector Ellis' Has Learned Its Fate After One Season". Collider. Retrieved 13 May 2025.
- ^ Cremona, Patrick (16 October 2024). "Ellis confirms air date for Doctor Who and Outlander stars' detective drama". Radio Times. Retrieved 18 October 2024.
- ^ "Inspector Ellis". Acorn TV. Retrieved 24 April 2025.
- ^ Kahn, Ellie (1 November 2024). "Ellis launches on C5 with 1.3m". Broadcast. Retrieved 24 April 2025.
- ^ Cormack, Morgan (31 October 2024). "Ellis is the British detective drama that the genre has been crying out for". Radio Times. Retrieved 28 April 2025.