Aidan Turner to star in new ITV thriller 'The Suspect'

Aidan Turner in The Suspect
Aidan Turner will play Joseph O’Loughlin in The Suspect. (Image credit: ITV)

Poldark actor Aidan Turner has been cast in the leading role of new ITV thriller The Suspect. The series will be produced by World Productions, known for their work on successful programmes such as Line of Duty, Vigil and The Pembrokeshire Murders.

Speaking about his character, Aidan revealed: "I am thrilled to be taking on the complex and demanding role of Joseph O’Loughlin, a man with so much to give but so much to lose, and a hidden darker side."

According to ITV, the character of Doctor Joe O’Loughlin "appears to have the perfect life – a devoted wife, a loving daughter, successful practice as a clinical psychologist, media profile and a publishing deal". He even became an online hero after rescuing a young patient who was ready to jump from the tenth floor of the hospital where he works, so he has been widely praised in his community and beyond.

By the time we meet Joe during the events of The Suspect, he has been approached by DI Vincent Ruiz and his young partner DS Riya Devi to assist with a new case. The series centres around the discovery of a young woman named Catherine, who was found in a shallow grave, and the team must figure out if it was suicide or murder.

ITV teases: "As the investigation into Catherine’s death gathers pace, we start to ask, do we know the real Joe, or does he have a secret life? And has his work as a clinical psychologist allowed him to develop a criminal mindset? Or worse?"

Other cast joining Aidan Turner are  Shaun Parkes (Small Axe), Sian Clifford (Fleabag), Camilla Beeput (Peep Show), Adam James (Vigil) and Anjli Mohindra (Bodyguard). No further cast has been announced as yet.

A release date for the series hasn't been confirmed, but we do know that it will be filmed on location in London during autumn 2021. So it's likely that it will air on ITV next year. We'll be sure to keep you updated once we know!

 

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Lucy Buglass
Senior Staff Writer

Lucy joined the WhatToWatch.com team in 2021, where she writes series guides for must-watch programmes, reviews and the latest TV news. Now she works for our sister site TechRadar in the same role. Originally from Northumberland, she graduated from Oxford Brookes University with a degree in Film Studies and moved to London to begin a career writing about entertainment.

She is a Rotten Tomatoes approved film critic and has a huge passion for cinema. She especially loves horror, thriller and anything crime-related. Her favourite TV programmes include Inside No 9, American Horror Story, Stranger Things and Black Mirror but she is also partial to a quiz show or a bit of Say Yes to the Dress