ITV lines up medical series for Bill slot

ITV has lined up a six-part medical series to help fill the 9pm slot vacated by the The Bill , focusing on the work of a hospital neurologist and written by Peter Bowker. The as-yet-uncast ITV1 drama, Monroe, is likely to be formally signed off next week and will be made by Mammoth Screen, the independent producer that made Bower's adaptation of Wuthering Heights for ITV last year. The new series will be shown in the 9pm slot, which will become vacant when The Bill ceases transmission in the autumn. Monroe is likely to be broadcast early next year. Bowker told MediaGuardian.co.uk that he hoped Monroe would achieve a similar dramatic intensity to that found in Hugh Laurie's US medical drama, House. "It may be foolish to compare the two but with neurologists, as with House, there is this very intense 10 days when you work with them on a case and then you say goodbye – it is really quite fascinating and will hopefully make great drama," he said. Bowker said he became fascinated by professional neurology during a personal ordeal some years ago when his daughter, then aged four, was diagnosed with what turned out to be a benign brain tumour. An ITV1 spokeswoman confirmed that the project was poised to be green-lit but said she could not comment further. Bowker has experience of medical dramas, having cut his teeth on Casualty, Medics and Peak Practice. This month he won the Royal Television Society best drama writer prize for the BBC1 Iraq drama Occupation. The same programme also won the Broadcasting Press Guild best drama prize last week . • 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".