ITV has commissioned a psychological thriller, Platform 7, based on the book of the same name by bestselling author Louise Doughty. You may be familiar with Doughty as the author of Apple Tree Yard, which was adapted for TV by the BBC in 2017 and starred Emily Watson. More recently, Doughty’s Crossfire was also adapted for TV and starred Keeley Hawes. 

Doughty is a master of creating tension, and Platform 7 promises just as many twists, turns and revelations. 

Here’s what we know about the new series so far…

The series will be broken into four hour-long parts and adapted by multi-award-winning screenwriter Paula Milne (Him, The Politician’s Husband, White Heat).

When the book came out in the summer of 2019, Stylist’s book editor, Francesa Brown, described it as “the perfect thriller” with characters who aren’t what they seem, a cast of people struggling with demons and explorations of destructive relationships. But at its heart, it’s a tale of love and redemption told with careful, incisive writing in a genre that’s totally unexpected.

Set in the commuter station of Peterborough, the drama is a haunting thriller following central character Lisa who, after witnessing a cataclysmic event on platform 7 of a railway station, finds her own fragmented memory jogged to reveal a connection between her own life and that of the event she has just witnessed. Supernatural elements combine with contemporary realism in this chilling drama. 

It will be made by Dancing Ledge Productions (the team behind The Responder and The Salisbury Poisonings). 

ITV’S head of drama, Polly Hill, who commissioned the show, said: “I’m thrilled to be working with Dancing Ledge Productions on the haunting thriller Platform 7, an adaptation of Louise Doughty’s brilliant novel. It’s edgy, fresh and engaging and is unlike anything we’ve commissioned before, as ITVX gives us the scope to break new ground with drama. Paula Milne’s scripts perfectly capture the novel’s vibrant storytelling whilst addressing some important contemporary issues.”

The drama is produced by Rosalie Carew (Three Pines, Ackley Bridge) and will be directed by Sarah Walker (Warrior Nun, Get Even).

Platform 7 is adapted by one of the UK’s most accomplished screenwriters, Paula Milne. The multi-award-winning screenwriter is best known for The Politician’s Wife, Him, White Heat and The Virgin Queen. 

Milne said: “This is no traditional ‘spooky’ ghost story. It’s the tale of a ghost on a quest to discover who she was and the events that led to her untimely death. Her story is a celebration of indignation versus passivity and truth versus lies. While writing it from Louise Doughty’s astute and emotionally intelligent novel, I began to feel she’s the ghost in all of us; the unseen part of us when we find ourselves reflecting on the wisdom of our past decisions. Sometimes with regret, occasionally with rancour but more often with the complicated relish of what it means to be human.”

Chris Carey, executive producer and managing director of Dancing Ledge Productions, said the story “weaves together themes of love and control in a truly original way. Part revenge story, part love story, part murder mystery this nail-biting drama forces us to consider whether we can truly know the people closest to us. With Paula Milne adapting and Sarah Walker directing, this is going to offer something truly unique.” 

Platform 7 will go into production later this year with details of casting to be announced later. 

Platform 7 will be an ITVX premiere, exclusive to ITV’s new free streaming service. It will be shown on the ITV main channel but viewers might have to wait a few months until after it’s been shown on ITVX to watch it there. 

Image: ITV/Faber & Faber