ITV confirms air date for Michelle Keegan's new crime drama The Blame

There's not long left to wait until the hard-hitting drama arrives.

Michelle Keegan as DI Emma Crane in The Blame, sat at a desk wearing a blue shirt and cream vest jumper, looking at the camera with her arms folded.

Quay Street Productions for ITV and ITVX

Published: Monday, 7 September 2026 at 11:41 am

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After starring in the most recent season of Brassic and Ten Pound Poms, Michelle Keegan is set to return to our screens in new ITV drama The Blame - and we now know exactly when it will air.

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The Blame will start airing on ITV1 and ITVX from Sunday 20 September, meaning there are just a couple of weeks left to wait.

ITV confirmed the news of the show's start date in a post on Instagram, alongside the caption: "When 16-year-old Sophie Madsen is found dead, the search for answers uncovers something much bigger. Lies. Misogyny. Institutional cover-ups. How far does it go?"

Alongside Keegan, The Blame also stars Douglas Booth (The Sandman), Ian Hart (Mr Bates vs The Post Office), Nathan Mensah, Nigel Boyle (Peaky Blinders), Joe Armstrong (Black Mirror), Matilda Freeman (How to Get to Heaven from Belfast), Gavin Spokes (House of the Dragon), Josh Bolt (Masters of the Air) and Ceallach Spellman (Cheaters).

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The synopsis for the series, which is based on the novel of the same name by Charlotte Langley, says: "As DI Emma Crane (Keegan) and DI Tom Radley (Booth) dig deeper into what starts as a tragic death that sends shockwaves through the town of Wakestead, a murder enquiry soon spirals into a tangled web of lies, institutional cover-ups and moral compromise.

"As the clock ticks and trust fractures, Crane must navigate both a murder investigation and the treacherous politics inside her own team."

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Speaking about playing Emma, Keegan recently told Radio Times magazine that she identified with her "a lot".

She added: "There’s been so many times in my life where something’s happened and you sort of laugh it off, or sweep it under the carpet, like it didn’t matter, but it does. No one gets pulled up on it, but you just have to deal with it because you’re a woman. I’ve been there and I’ve lived it, so doing a drama that shines a light on that, and says this is actually wrong, is really powerful."

The Blame will air on ITV and ITVX from Sunday 20 September.

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Authors

Black and white cut-out portrait headshot of James Hibbs, smiling against a lime green background.

James HibbsDrama Writer

James Hibbs is a Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering programmes across both streaming platforms and linear channels. He previously worked in PR, first for a B2B agency and subsequently for international TV production company Fremantle. He possesses a BA in English and Theatre Studies and an NCTJ Level 5 Diploma in Journalism.

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