Channel 4 announces thrilling new drama In Flight starring Katherine Kelly

Filming is underway on In Flight, a gripping new crime thriller produced by Buccaneer (Marcella, Crime, The Burning Girls) for Channel 4. The 6x60’ drama series is written and co-created by Mike Walden (Marcella, Whitstable Pearl) and Adam Randall (Slow Horses, iBoy) and directed by Chris Baugh (Wreck, Tin Star). 

Leading the cast is the award-winning Katherine Kelly (Mr Bates vs the Post Office, The Long Shadow) playing a flight attendant who finds her life turned upside down when she is blackmailed into drug smuggling after her son is arrested. 

Jo Conran (Katherine Kelly) is a single mum working as a flight attendant. Her son is serving a fifteen-year sentence in a Bulgarian prison for a murder he swears he did not commit. Jo is approached by a gang who know all about her son and is blackmailed into using her job to smuggle drugs. She soon finds herself pulled into a murky underworld of corrupt cops and hired killers, forced to carry out their orders with no escape in sight. However, no matter how far Jo finds herself from her old life, her mission remains the same, to keep her son alive. 

In Flight is set against the fast-paced, high-pressure world of global air travel and will follow Jo’s relentless quest to protect her family while entangled in a dangerous criminal syndicate.

Joining the ensemble cast are Stuart Martin as Cormac, a key member of the criminal gang; and Ashley Thomas as Dom, a customs officer at a major London airport, plus Bronagh Waugh as Melanie, Harry Cadby as Sonny, Corinna Brown as Kayla and Ambreen Razia as Zara.

Set across dynamic global locations including Bangkok, Bulgaria, Istanbul and London, filming will take place in Belfast with funding support from Northern Ireland Screen.

Katherine Kelly, said, “I am really excited to be taking on the role of Jo and I can’t wait to tell her compelling story. I am delighted to be working with Buccaneer Media again and it’s joy to be filming in Belfast.”

Mike Walden and Adam Randall said, “In Flight is our spin on the noir genre, a high stakes, stylish, romantic thriller with iconic characters and nerve shredding action. Channel 4 is the perfect home for our story and we're so excited to be collaborating with such a brilliant team. Jo is a character close to our hearts. She is an ordinary woman facing extraordinary odds. We can't wait for audiences to meet her.”

Polly Scates, Head of Acquisitions at Channel 4 said, “We’re thrilled to have In Flight on our scripted slate and beyond excited that the brilliant Katherine Kelly is on board to lead the series. This unique crime drama will take our audience on a thrilling journey through terrifying worlds, but at the real heart of this story is just how far a parent will go to keep their child safe. We’re excited to be working with the team at Buccaneer to bring this story to screen.”

Richard Tulk-Hart, Executive Producer at Buccaneer said, “At a difficult time for the industry In Flight shows the power of bringing a number of partners together to make something happen. So a big thank you to SBS, TVNZ, ProSieben and Fremantle for also seeing the potential in these scripts at such an early stage.”

Anna Burns, Executive Producer at Buccaneer said, “In Flight is a real passion project for me and my fellow execs, Tony and Richard, and we could not be more excited about the team we have in place to bring Mike and Adam's gripping creation to life. We're so proud to be making this show for Channel 4 and cannot wait to take the audience on Jo's heart-pounding journey.”

Rebecca Dundon, Executive Producer at Fremantle said, "In Flight is a surprising, propulsive standout - a high-stakes action crime thriller that combines the intensity of international drug smuggling with the emotional depth of a mother’s relentless quest to save her son. Set against the high-pressure world of global travel, this series offers a fresh, commercially powerful mix of suspense, sacrifice, and gripping drama. I couldn’t put the script down, and audiences everywhere will feel the same."

In Flight is produced by Buccaneer Media and has been acquired for Channel 4 by Polly Scates, Head of Acquisitions. Executive Producers are Anna Burns, Tony Wood and Richard Tulk-Hart for Buccaneer, Rebecca Dundon and Simon Judd for Fremantle, Mike Walden, Adam Randall and Chris Baugh. Producer is Brendan Mullin. Gary Davy is Casting Director.

ProSieben have pre-bought the series for Germany along with SBS for Australia and TVNZ for New Zealand. Fremantle is handling global sales.

Headshot photography credit - Eddy Massarella