A double-life faces exposure in ITV drama

ITV has commissioned a new six-part drama, The Level from the writers behind BBC’s Shetland series.

Made by Hillbilly Television (Second Coming, Random) and written by Gaby Chiappe and Alex Perrin, The Level follows the secret double life of Detective Sergeant Nancy Devlin.

Nancy’s exemplary police career at the National Crime Agency masks a covert attachment to shady businessman and drugs trafficker, Frank Le Saux. Inextricably linked to Frank from childhood as the father of her best friend, Hayley, Nancy has been playing a dangerous game – ensuring that Frank always remains off the police radar.

When Frank is murdered Nancy finds herself at the centre of an investigation when she is seconded to Sussex Homicide in Brighton. Nancy is too close to the case and holds vital clues to the murder of her father figure and mentor. Now facing the risk of exposure and locked in a lethal stalking game by a killer intent on destroying her. But how much can she reveal to her colleagues without incriminating herself? And when his daughter Hayley comes back into her life, will they be able to pick up their friendship?

Caught up in Frank’s world, Nancy becomes embroiled in a murky underbelly of crime. As both the hunter and the hunted.

Polly Leys and Kate Norrish on behalf of Hillbilly Television said: “We’re delighted to be working with ITV for the first time.  We knew we had a great project and writing team in Gaby Chiappe and Alex Perrin and we’re very happy that ITV feel the same. It is the perfect home for The Level, a high stakes, high intensity thriller. We can’t wait to get going on bringing Nancy to life.”

The Level will begin filming in London and Brighton during the spring of 2016.