The Widow starring Kate Beckinsale is the thriller we're all going to be gripped by
Kate Beckinsale might have been making headlines recently with her very unexpected (and very public) new romance with Pete Davidson, but we can expect a whole lot more primetime action this month as the actress returns to our screens in the new ITV drama, The Widow.
The Underworld actress takes the title role as "widow" Georgia Wells, whose beloved husband of 10 years, Will Mason, dies in a plane crash on a trip to Africa.
Fast forward three years, and after seeing a man resembling her supposedly dead husband on a news story reporting civil unrest in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Georgia drops everything and travels to the country's capital, Kinshasha, to uncover whether Will might still be alive.
As she starts to search for answers as to what really happened in the accident, Georgia is forced to confront the possibility that her missing husband might actually have faked his own death, and must face violence and corruption in her quest to uncover the truth.
The action-packed drama features an all-star lineup, including renowned actor Charles Dance, ER star Alex Kingston, Sherlock's Louise Brealey and Black Mirror actor, Babs Olusanmokun.
"It deals with a woman’s grief and her picking her way out of that," Kate Beckinsale revealed in an interview. "It also looks at deception in a lot of forms. Trying to uncover physical and emotional truths. Also a big character in The Widow is Africa itself.
"So there's quite a lot about what is happening politically in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Along with the role of the child militia. One of our characters is a little girl who has been taken away from her family by the militia."
"There are many strands to the story. That was very much what the Williams brothers wanted. Harry and Jack [The Missing writers] picked directors Sam Donovan and Olly Blackburn who shared their vision for The Widow."
Created by Harry and Jack Williams, the brothers reponsible for hit shows such as Liar, The Missing and [i]Baptiste[/I], the new eight-part series will explore multiple edge-of-the-seat narratives that link back to Georgia's shadowy husband.
"It’s definitely a different vibe to Baptiste," Harry Williams told the Express.
"The Widow has got a bigger scale. There are some big action moments but it’s still a very character-led thriller at its heart.
"There’s a lot of two-handers, a lot of twists and turns. There’s a big cast and a big canvas. By the time we get to the end, I think it’s very satisfying."
The Widow airs on Monday 8 April at 9pm.
Here are all the other brilliant TV shows we'll be binge-watching this year...
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The Crown S3
The royal Netflix drama will officially be returning to our screens on Sunday 17th November. The upcoming series will span the years of 1964-76, marking the introduction of Charles' second wife Camilla Parker-Bowles and believe it or not - the coming of age of 70s fashion icon, Princess Anne. Yes. Really.
World on Fire
Oscar-winning actress Helen Hunt, Sean Bean and Lesley Maville star in BBC’s sumptuous period drama set in the first year of World War II. The story explores the “intertwining fates” of ordinary people in Britain, Poland, France, Germany and the United States whose everyday lives are affected.
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Did you race through season four of Queer Eye and then panic it was all over too quickly? Well, fear not because it’s only gone and been renewed for a bumper fifth season set in Japan. According to Netflix, the Fab Five will “bring their message of self-care and compassion to four Japanese men and women while exploring the country’s rich culture and cuisine.” Yaaaas!
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Seasons: 1
Who: Jake Manley, Sarah Grey, Max Martini
What: If you were a fan of Teen Wolf and Vampire Diaries then look no further. The Order follows a university student who gets thrust into a world of magic and monsters when trying to avenge his mother's death. The intriguing plot and a hilarious one-liners will have you hooked.
Liar, Season 2
The end of season one left us on the edge of our seats with the murder of Andrew Earlman so it feels like we’ve been waiting an eternity for news of season two. Will Laura have committed the crime? Let the speculation begin.
Little Fires Everywhere
If Big Little Lies hadn’t already confirmed our girl crush on Reese Witherspoon, she’s now joined forces with Kerry Washington to produce the TV adaptation of Little Fires Everywhere, the best-selling novel by Celeste NG about a single mother who moves to the suburbs in Ohio with her teenage daughter. Go girls!
