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Michelle Keegan's "complex" new ITV drama compared to Happy Valley by producer
Happy Valley fans, listen up.
Quay Street Productions for ITV
- Louise Griffin
- , Morgan Cormack
Published: Sunday, 6 September 2026 at 9:00 am
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With the likes of Michelle Keegan leading the series, The Blame was always set to be one of ITV's most anticipated dramas of the year – and those expectations are only set to grow with comparisons made to another much-loved drama.
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When chatting exclusively to Radio Times at the Edinburgh TV Festival, producer Nicola Shindler had lots of incredible insight to share about the industry. But when it came to thinking ahead, The Blame is one of the shows she's most excited for people to see.
Talking about what upcoming series she wants to shout about, Shindler shared: "The Blame, that is coming on ITV in a couple of weeks. I am so proud of that.
"It does a similar thing to what we just said about Happy Valley. I hope the audiences feel the same. It's an incredibly good crime story, but with this extraordinarily complex central character, female character, right in the centre of something that is revealing a lot about modern policing and modern society.
"It's really good fun and it's also very, very well written. Megan Gallagher wrote it all and just is fantastic."
Sarah Lancashire and Siobhan Finneran in Happy Valley. BBC
Shindler worked as the executive producer on BBC's Happy Valley over its acclaimed three-season run, and added that her time on the show really showed her "how good Sally's [Wainwright] voice is", as well as spotlighting the talents of Sarah Lancashire and Siobhan Finneran in particular.
"I think that you can tell quite a mainstream crime story and have an extraordinary character piece and tragedy going on at the same time. It doesn't have to affect the pacing, and it doesn't have to become one or the other," she reflected on Happy Valley.
"How audiences are really open to genre being challenged in that way. I think sometimes we worry that, 'Oh my god, people need to know exactly what they're watching', but that might be quite boring for people if nothing challenges that. So it was just a joy to be able to do that."
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And it seems as though The Blame may very well scratch that same itch for drama fans, with Keegan taking centre stage in it as DI Emma Crane.
As Shindler mentioned, the series has been penned by All Her Fault's Megan Gallagher and is based on the novel of the same name by Charlotte Langley. The series has been described as "part propulsive mystery, part social commentary, part love story", which is set to "tackle big questions around policing and will take an unflinching look at who we can really trust".
As per the synopsis: "As DI Emma Crane (Keegan) and DI Tom Radley (Douglas 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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The Blame will be coming to ITV and ITVX this autumn.
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Authors
Louise GriffinSci-Fi and Fantasy Editor
Louise Griffin is the Sci-Fi & Fantasy Editor for Radio Times, covering everything from Doctor Who, Star Wars and Marvel to House of the Dragon and Good Omens. She previously worked at Metro as a Senior Entertainment Reporter and has a degree in English Literature.
Morgan CormackDrama Writer
Morgan Cormack is a Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering everything drama-related on TV and streaming. She previously worked at Stylist as an Entertainment Writer. Alongside her past work in content marketing and as a freelancer, she possesses a BA in English Literature.
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