Lynda La Plante's Above Suspicion on ITV
Kelly Reilly Plays New Cop Heroine, Anna Travis
Dec 6, 2008
DC Anna Travis, the heroine of four La Plante novels, makes her debut on UK network ITV1 during the first week of January.
Above Suspicion is a two-part drama introducing the young and ambitious detective as she joins her first murder inquiry.
Kelly Reilly, who was seen in 2008 on UK screens as the glamorous moll in He Kills Coppers, gets the lead as Travis.
The story centres on a series of killings that horrifies even hardened detectives. The murders started eight years ago and the six victims are drug-users and prostitutes. Then a seventh is discovered but while the method is the same, the victim is a young student.
'Kelly Reilly So Right for This Role'
La Plante, the award-winning creator and writer of critical and ratings hits that include Widows, The Governor, The Commander and Trial and Retribution, says, ‘This is the first time one of my books has been adapted for the UK screen and I am thrilled. In creating Anna Travis, I can explore what it is like for a young detective to face their first murder inquiry, the emotion that comes with that as well the pressure and intrigue of the investigation.
‘Kelly Reilly was so right for this role. She not only embodies the character with her red hair and striking looks, but more than that, she brings her own experience of being the daughter of a policeman. It is that shared experience that helps her bring Anna to life on the screen.’
Ciarán Hinds Plays the Tough Chief Inspector
Unlike Jane Tennison, who was played by Helen Mirren, Anna Travis is almost a rookie and determined to earn the respect of her tough boss, Detective Chief Inspector Langton (actor Ciarán Hinds, recently seen in There Will Be Blood).
Travis doesn’t have to fight all the same battles against crude sexism in the force, but there are still plenty of male colleagues waiting to see if she’s got what it takes.
Kelly Reilly Is the Daughter of a Policeman
‘My dad was a copper in Brixton for many years,’ says Kelly Reilly, who will also be seen in Guy Ritchie’s Sherlock Holmes in 2009. ‘So he knows the rough side of the job. I soaked that in as a kid.
‘He has read [Lynda La Plante’s] book, and he is excited and proud of me for playing Anna Travis.’
The suspect in this story is Alan Daniels, a well-known actor. Anna Travis is faced with creating a media frenzy by arresting him, knowing that if he is found innocent her reputation will be shredded.
Jason Durr Plays the Prime Suspect
Jason Durr plays Daniels, while Shaun Dingwall and Daniel Caltagirone play squad detectives.
Dramas created by Lynda La Plante, who started her own production company in 1994, are renowned for their emotional impact and their levels of accuracy.
Meticulous Research
‘I don’t do all the research now,’ La Plante says. ‘I am fortunate to have at the head of the research section at La Plante Productions, an ex very high ranking police officer. He has his finger on the pulse.
‘Now I can knock on Callum Sutherland’s door and ask what are the repercussions of someone slitting their wrists in custody, for instance. He will explain what would happen.’
Hits such as Prime Suspect have made La Plante a writer of international repute. In America she co-wrote and/or produced The Prosecutors and Cold Shoulder, along with adaptations of Bella Mafia, Widows, Framed and The Governor.
Lynda has now written four Anna Travis books; Above Suspicion, The Red Dahlia, Clean Cut, and the latest, Deadly Intent, was published in September.
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