Trevor Eve to star in ITV1 thriller

Trevor Eve is to star as an international hostage negotiator in a new ITV1 drama, Kidnap and Ransom. The three-part thriller will feature Eve along with John Hannah, Helen Baxendale, Natasha Little, Emma Fielding and Amara Karan. Kidnap and Ransom has Eve's character Dominic King negotiating the release of a businesswoman, played by Fielding, who is kidnapped in South Africa. But the release is botched and Hannah's kidnapper strikes again in the UK. The drama is in pre-production, with location filming due to begin in South Africa in the spring. Kidnap and Ransom is the first drama commission for Eve's company, Projector Pictures, and is being made as a co-production with Talkback Thames. Eve's most high-profile TV role in recent years has been playing the grumpy detective Peter Boyd in BBC1 crime drama Waking the Dead, which has been on air since 2000. However, it has been reported recently that Waking the Dead may be nearing the end of its run. Kidnap and Ransom has been commissioned by the ITV1 director of drama commissioning, Laura Mackie, and the controller of drama commissioning, Sally Haynes. Eve will executive produce along with Johnathan Young, Talkback Thames head of drama. The producer is Trevor Hopkins, with Andy Wilson directing. • To contact the MediaGuardian news desk email [email protected] or phone 020 3353 3857. For all other inquiries please call the main Guardian switchboard on 020 3353 2000. • If you are writing a comment for publication, please mark clearly "for publication".