“ITV’s Boldest True-Crime Thriller Yet: Outlander’s Laura Donnelly Hunts a Highland Killer in ‘The Dark’ — A Slow-Burn Mystery Critics Say Feels Like You Meets Steeltown Murders With a Haunting Finale Viewers Will Never Forget”

ITV has officially announced its next major crime drama, and it’s already being hailed as one of the network’s most ambitious projects to date. The Dark, a chilling new series set against the rugged beauty of the Scottish Highlands, will star Laura Donnelly (Outlander, The Nevers, Britannia) as Detective Inspector Monica Kennedy — a woman drawn into a nightmarish hunt for a killer hiding in plain sight.

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What Is The Dark About?

Adapted from G.R. Halliday’s acclaimed novel From the Shadows, the series opens with a grisly discovery: the body of a young man found eerily staged in the idyllic Highlands, as though arranged like a grotesque work of art. Kennedy quickly fears this is no isolated murder but the beginning of a campaign of terror aimed at the heart of a tight-knit rural community.

According to the official synopsis via Deadline: “As paranoia rises, suspicions and long-buried secrets are dragged into the light, and the locals begin to realise that a serial killer is living among them. Every clue pulls Monica deeper into a killer’s game — one where every wrong move could mean death.”

With its shadowy landscapes, tense pacing, and psychological depth, critics are already comparing the show to The Fall, True Detective, and ITV’s own Steeltown Murders.

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Laura Donnelly Leads as Monica Kennedy

The 43-year-old Belfast-born actress, best known to global audiences as Jenny Fraser in Outlander, will bring a fierce but deeply human presence to the lead role. Donnelly’s past performances — from the mystical drama The Nevers to the fantasy epic Britannia and historical series Say Nothing — have cemented her as a performer who thrives in morally complex stories.

Filming will take place in and around Glasgow later this year, with additional casting still underway. The script is penned by Matt Hartley (EastEnders, Hollyoaks), who promises a gripping, character-driven mystery rooted in both Highland folklore and modern-day fears.

With two more books already written in Halliday’s trilogy (Dark Waters and Under the Marsh), there’s hope this series could become ITV’s next long-running crime franchise.

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Why Crime-Drama Fans Are Excited

In recent years, viewers have flocked to meticulously crafted detective dramas like The Long Shadow, Steeltown Murders, and Netflix’s You — series that mix slow-burn suspense with richly drawn characters. The Dark promises the same atmospheric tension but with a Scottish twist: rugged landscapes, close-knit communities, and secrets buried deep in the mist.

“This isn’t just another murder mystery,” one critic noted after reading the early scripts. “It’s a chilling descent into obsession, betrayal, and the kind of evil that doesn’t stop at killing.”

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When Will It Air?

There’s no official release date yet. With production starting this year and international distribution confirmed through ITV Studios, the series is expected to debut sometime in 2026. Given the critical buzz surrounding Halliday’s source material and Donnelly’s casting, industry insiders predict The Dark will be one of ITV’s tentpole dramas.

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Also Making Waves: A Gritty Art-World Thriller Starring Stephen Moyer

Crime-drama fans are in for a double treat. Alongside The Dark, another buzzy series is on the horizon: a Heritage Crime Unit thriller starring Stephen Moyer (True Blood) and Nina Singh (Virdee).

This as-yet-untitled show dives into the dangerous underbelly of the high-end art world, where every stolen masterpiece hides a deadly secret. Think Shetland meets Luther — with critics already praising its 86% Rotten Tomatoes score and calling it “compelling and addictive.”

“Murder, masterpieces, and betrayal collide in a world where beauty hides brutality,” reads the early press notes.

Moyer and Singh star as Met detectives Mick Palmer and Shazia Malik, working cases where galleries double as crime scenes and every lead comes at a deadly cost.

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With The Dark and the art-world thriller both on the way, ITV is signaling a bold new era of prestige crime drama — stories rich in atmosphere, character, and heart-stopping suspense.