Shetland meets True Detective: Inside ITV’s “unmissable” new detective drama The Killings at Parrish Station

It’s a good year for detective dramas – we’ve had the return of Channel 4’s Patience, the arrival of Sky’s Under Salt Marsh, and now, ITV is getting in on the action and bringing us another unmissable series in the form of The Killings at Parrish Station. The upcoming series takes us to the Australian Outback where Detective Georgia Cooke (played by both Mia Wasikowska and Heather Mitchell) becomes entrenched in a decades-long murder mystery. Think Shetland meets True Detective, with plenty of thrills thrown in.

The series is unique in that it’s told across two time periods and feature two different actresses in the lead role. We first meet Detective Georgia Cooke in 1987, when four scientists have been brutally murdered. Then, 37 years later, a new spate of murders, which are eerily similar to the original 1987 case, pulls an older Georgia back in. The question is, are the cases connected?

Ahead of its arrival on our screens, here’s everything you need to know about The Killings at Parrish Station, including the plot, cast and release date.

What is The Killings at Parrish Station about?

According to ITV, the six-part series sees cold case crime and thriller collide as a gruesome massacre at a remote research station plunges a detective into an inexplicable, decades-long mystery. The series picks up in 1987, when Detective Georgia Cooke (Mia Wasikowska) is called in to investigate the massacre of four scientists who have been brutally murdered in inexplicable ways, with a lone survivor the obvious suspect.

As Georgia digs deeper, however, she unravels a complex case that involves mania and conspiracy. And her obsessive quest for the truth soon spirals into a nightmare that will put her family, career, and sanity on the line.

The series is set across two time period and 37 years later, a chilling new spate of murders, strangely similar to the original 1987 case, pulls Georgia (now played by Heather Mitchell, pictured below in Fake) back into the nightmare she thought she’d left behind. Now, she must confront the terrifying possibility that the horrors at Parrish Station were never fully buried and the past may be destined to repeat itself.

The series is a co-commission between ITV and Australian streamer Stan and brings together some of Australia’s most acclaimed creative talent. EVP, Global Content for ITV Studios, Julie Meldal-Johnsen, says of the series: “We’re delighted to bring the thrilling and evocative The Killings: Parrish Station to international audiences, working with our partners at HELIUM and Stan. The scripts are some of the finest we have read - smart, shocking, and suspenseful with raw human emotion - and now brought to life by an acclaimed cast and crew.”

Nine Entertainment’s Executive Director, Entertainment Content Commissioning, Michael Healy, added: “The Killings: Parrish Station is a striking addition to the Stan Originals slate, a bold and distinctive series that pushes the boundaries of Australian drama. It is a testament to creative storytelling at its best, led by the visionary creator Ben Jenkins, who has masterfully woven together a cosmic-horror-meets-cold-case tale.”

Who’s in the cast of The Killings at Parrish Station?

The cast of The Killings at Parrish Station includes:

• Mia Wasikowska (Crimson Peak, Alice in Wonderland)
• Heather Mitchell (Fake)
• Xavier Samuel (Champagne Problems)
• Robert Taylor
• Alan Dale (Dynasty)
• Emma Lung (Wolf Like Me, Strife)
• Doris Younane (Five Bedrooms)
• Kat Hoyos (Amazing Grace)
• Nic English (Ten Pound Poms)
• Alex Malone (The Royal Hotel)
• Geoff Morrell (Wolf Like Me)
• Rob Carlton (Black Snow)
• Alex Lee (The Fall Guy)
• Cameron James (The Role of a Lifetime)
• Grace Owens

How can I watch The Killings at Parrish Station?

ITV hasn’t yet shared a release date for The Killings at Parrish Station, but we’re expecting it to be released at some point in 2026. As soon as we have a confirmed date, we’ll update you here.

What other detective dramas can I watch now?

For a series with a brilliant detective duo at the heart of it, we’d recommend The Brokenwood Mysteries. Detective Senior Sergeant Mike Shepherd (Neill Rea) and Detective Kristin Sims (Fern Sutherland) are the unlikely detectives who team up to investigate everything from vineyard deaths to local scandals and stag party disappearances. You can watch The Brokenwood Mysteries on U. For an oldie but a goodie, we’d suggest Rose & Maloney. The series stars Sarah and Phil Davis as the titular Rose Linden and Marion Maloney, who work for the fictional Criminal Justice Review Agency and primarily take on claims of miscarriages of justice. You can watch Rose and Maloney on Prime Video. For more great detective dramas that you can watch now, check out our pick of the very best here.