Harlan Coben‘s projects prove indelibly popular thanks to their consistency. No matter if it’s Stay Close, The Stranger, Fool Me Once, or the more recent, Missing You, readers or viewers know to expect plenty of twists and turns and a selection of compelling performances on their way to a jaw-dropping finish. They can also often rely on a starring role for Richard Armitage, a man who appeared in all four aforementioned series and whose rich, dulcet tones perfectly convey the gravity of any mysterious twist.

Now, the frequent Coben collaborator is confirmed to be joining another crime series, only this time without the acclaimed author, as Armitage leads the upcoming ITV police procedural Winter. Based on the long-running French crime series Balthazar, the series stars Armitage alongside Annabel Scholey as an unconventional crime-solving duo. The series is a joint production between ITV and PBS, who have previously combined on the likes of Downton Abbey and Grantchester, with Dries Vos and Kaat Beels directing. Filming is scheduled to take place in Belgium and Bristol and will begin in 2026. In a statement about the upcoming series, Armitage said:

“The team behind Winter are second to none and the ambition of David Allison’s scripts is very exciting and will attempt to shake up the genre that we’ve grown to love. Ethan Winter is a compelling character treading the line between diligent professional and reckless maverick. He has a painful secret and a fatalistic self-destruct button over which his finger constantly hovers. I’m thrilled to be returning to ITV.”

What Is ‘Winter’ About?

A police procedural starring Armitage might be enough to entice many viewers, but some will prefer to know more before they dedicate their time to a new show in a genre flooded with options. Armitage stars as the titular Ethan Winter in the series, a forensic psychologist who teams up with Scholey‘s DI Lauren Bell. “Together they make a formidable team, as Winter’s genius and insight into the victims is invaluable to Bell and her murder squad detectives,” the synopsis reads, continuing, “Yet, Winter is harbouring a secret. The unsolved murder of someone close to him still haunts his every move, and he’s intent on unofficially investigating the death to bring the murderer to justice.”

via Collider