Show of the Week: After The Flood

After The Flood (Source: ITV Studios)

When the town of Waterside is hit with the largest flood in its history, the community pulls together to keep everyone safe. However, three people die – one, an unidentified man, is found murdered in a lift in the basement of an apartment block.

Police assume he became trapped as the waters rose but when the autopsy reveals he died several days earlier, PC Jo Marshall goes to great lengths to uncover the truth. How did he get in the lift, who put him there, and why does no one know who he is?

“Jo’s a good cop who breaks the rules for the right reasons – the problem is that breaking these rules will come at a great cost if she’s ever exposed. So reluctantly, she has to keep her actions contained throughout the series, even though doing so becomes increasingly more difficult,” says Will McDonagh, script executive at Quay Street Productions.

The 6 x 60-minute series is billed as a climate change mystery thriller, which delves into the green-washing deceptions of developers and local politicians.
McDonagh says that Quay Street wanted to tell a story that deals with climate change head on, but in an entertaining way.

“Our fantastic writer, Mick Ford, struck on this idea to put it at the centre of a murder mystery. We knew we’d be able to deliver a powerful message if we set the story within the heart of a close-knit community, one actively battling climate change, but also dealing with a propulsive thriller mystery.”

McDonagh adds that Quay Street “couldn’t be prouder” of the show’s ambitious opening scenes depicting a flash flood and featuring a complicated stunt sequence.

“Although we knew there would be some CGI work involved, director Azhur Saleem wanted to achieve as much of this practically – to put the audience literally into the water with our characters. This involved building a street set, which we were able to completely fill with water, and splitting the opening sequence between various locations, which our post-production team masterfully stitched together.

“Our cast was exceptional and committed to the stunt work wholeheartedly, and our crew worked tirelessly to bring the whole vision to life.”

Producer: Quay Street Productions
Distributor: ITV Studios
Broadcaster: ITV & ITVX (UK) & BritBox International (US, Canada, Australia, South Africa, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland)
Logline: A devastating flash flood unearths the body of a murdered man, and a dedicated police officer sets out to find out who killed him and why – no matter the cost.