'Code of Silence's First Images Introduce an A-List Cast

The BritBox and ITV co-production, Code of Silence, was first announced in the fall of 2024 as it headed into production. As you might assume from a show with this sort of name, it is a crime thriller, with a pair of detectives and a not-quite-professional crime solver who is key to solving a significant case and subsequently is brought in as part of the team. However, this series has a twist to it that makes it a must-watch: Code of Silence's star is Deaf actor Rose Ayling-Ellis, and she's brought on board because her experience with lip reading is key to cracking the case.

Code of Silence was created by writer Catherine Moulton, who experienced hearing loss and is a lip reader. The series is being marketed as "bringing a fresh and distinctive perspective on crime and communication;" highlighting crucial representation for the Deaf community. Ayling-Ellis is not the only actor from the Deaf community in the cast either, the ensemble includes multiple actors pulled from the Deaf, disabled, and neurodiverse communities. This second detective series focusing on these diverse communities after Patience was announced in early 2024 for PBS and is part of the U.K.'s push to feature series with diverse casts.

BritBox has not listed a release window for Code of Silence in the U.S. However, in the 2025 overview, the series was listed towards the end of the list, with shows expected to premiere in the second half of 2025. That doesn't mean viewers will necessarily wait until the fall to see it, but it does suggest it will be a while.

Here is the series synopsis:

At the heart of the series is Alison Brooks, a smart and determined Deaf woman - having spent years working in a police canteen and secretly observing conversations, her life takes an unexpected turn when her exceptional lip-reading skills catch the attention of DS Ashleigh Francis and DI James Marsh. Recruited for a covert operation, Alison is tasked with surveilling a dangerous gang as they plot a high-stakes heist, thrusting her into a world of crime, deception, and risk like never before. As her interpretations of their covert conversations become central to the investigation, Alison is thrust into an exhilarating and perilous new world. Her role quickly becomes crucial to solving the case, but everything grows more complicated when she finds herself drawn to suspect Liam Bayne. Despite the escalating risks and threats to her personal life, Alison refuses to walk away... 

Rose Ayling-Ellis (Ludwig) leads the cast as Alison Brooks, costarring with Charlotte Ritchie (Call the Midwife) as DS Ashleigh Francis, Andrew Buchan (Broadchurch) as DI James Marsh, and Kieron Moore as Liam Bayne. The supporting cast includes Nathan Armarkwei Laryea (The Witcher), Joe Absolom (Doc Martin), Beth Goddard (The Serpent Queen), Andrew Scarborough (Downton Abbey), Fifi Garfield (Deaf Funny), and presenter Rolf Choutan, making his acting debut.

The series was conceived by Catherine Moulton (Baptiste), who drew on her experiences with lip-reading and hearing loss. Moulton wrote four of the series' six episodes, with writers Will Truefitt and Benji Walters penning the other two. Directors Diarmuid Goggins (Kin) and Chanya Button (World on Fire) split helming duties with Joe Shrubb producing. Ayling-Ellis and Moulton executive produce alongside Bryony Arnold & Damien Timmer for Mammoth Screen and Robert Schildhouse & Stephen Nye for BritBox.

Code of Silence will premiere on ITV1 and ITVX in the U.K. in the spring of 2025. It will follow on BritBox in the U.S. and Canada later in the year.