Sherlock star Martin Freeman to lead ITV detective series A Confession

Martin Freeman is set to star in a new ITV drama titled A Confession, based on the true story of a detective whose career was ended after bringing a double murderer to justice.

The Sherlock actor, 47, will play former detective superintendent Steve Fulcher, who “deliberately breached police procedure and protocol to catch a killer, a decision that ultimately cost him his career and reputation”.

He oversaw the arrest of Christopher Halliwell during Wiltshire Police’s investigation into missing 22-year-old woman Sian O’Callaghan, who disappeared in 2011.

Set in Swindon, the six-part series will also star Imelda Staunton, Downton Abbey‘s Siobhan Finneran, and Doc Martin‘s Joe Absolom. Screenwriter Jeff Pope said the drama “brings into question how we want our police to behave when someone goes missing”.

ITV’s head of drama Polly Hill described the production as “an unmissable drama for next year”, with Broadchurch‘s Paul Andrew William set to direct all six episodes.

Freeman is also set to stay in Sky’s 10-part comedy Breeders, in which he’ll play “a caring father discovering he’s not quite the man he thought he was”.

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