If there’s one thing we’ve learnt by now, it’s that Sheridan Smith and an ITV drama are a match made in heaven - and the latest one is a case in point. Two Birds is the genius Harlan Coben-style thriller that will star Sheridan as a police constable hoping for a fresh start in Australia and it might just be her - and ITV’s - best series yet.
The upcoming thriller follows Izzie, who’s been recently widowed and thrusts herself into work to help her through the grief. A murder case could be just the thing she needs, but in a twist that sounds just like something from a Harlan Coben thriller, the investigation leads her to a notorious local crime family, which is only made more challenging by the fact that Izzie has a secret to hide.
While we patiently wait for Two Birds to arrive on our screens, here’s everything you need to know about the upcoming series, including the full plot, cast, first-look pictures and how to watch it.
What is Two Birds about?
Written by Helen FitzGerald (The Cry), the six-part series is set against the landscape of Kalgoorlie, a remote Australian mining town carved from red earth. At the centre of it is British Police Constable Izzie Cornwell (played by Sheridan Smith, pictured above in Rosie Molloy Gives Up Everything) who arrives in the small fictional town of Dugdale having been recently widowed. Now, she's intent on a fresh start and a new life in Australia.
Izzie is determined to chase away her grief and hopes to reconnect with her sister who moved to the Kalgoorlie area with her Australian husband. But, even more importantly, she wants to rebuild trust with her 20-year-old daughter, who’s scared by her mother’s recent destructive behaviour.
ITV’s official synopsis continues: “Izzie is assigned to investigate a murder alongside her new boss Matt, a Homicide Detective from Perth, played by Stephen Peacocke. When the victim is revealed to be part of a notorious local crime family, led by the formidable Mrs Baxter, played by Judy Davis, the stakes intensify.
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“Determined to protect her family and uncover the truth, Mrs Baxter exerts fierce pressure on the case. But the night before Izzie joins the case, one reckless last hurrah goes disastrously wrong and a split-second decision results in consequences Izzie can’t undo, forcing her into a secret she must do everything to contain.”
Sheridan says of the new series: "I'm thrilled to be playing the irresistibly complex Izzie Cornwell who is in search of new beginnings in Australia. Helen FitzGerald has created a dream role for me, as Izzie, through no fault of her own, becomes embroiled in a web of secrets and lies.”
Drama Commissioner, Callum Dziedzic, added: “From the very first script, it felt like we’d struck gold with Two Birds. Built on an irresistible hook, Helen FitzGerald has crafted a propulsive, twisty thriller with real humanity. Sheridan is perfect in the lead and brings her inimitable warmth and depth to Izzie. We can’t wait for our audience to join her in Dugdale and see the extraordinary scale of the gold mine for themselves.”
Who’s in the cast of Two Birds?
The cast of Two Birds includes:
- Sheridan Smith (I Fought the Law)
- Stephen Peacocke (Five Bedrooms, The Newsreader)
- Colin Friels (Water Rats, Malcolm)
- Jacki Weaver (Animal Kingdom)
- Fiona Button (The Split, Industry)
- Eva Morgan (The Gathering, This City is Ours)
- Harry Greenwood (Klara and The Sun, Tenzing)
- Nic Cassim (Mr Inbetween, The Twelve)
- Victoria Fowler (Dalliance, Bump)
- Lila McGuire (Goolagong, The Twelve)
- Kit Jeakings-Bull (Invisible Boys)
- Matthew Pearce (Home and Away)
- Sarah Roberts (Scrublands, Home and Away)
- Matt Day (Rake, Strike)
How can I watch Two Birds?
ITV hasn’t yet shared a release date for Two Birds, but we do know that filming is taking place in Perth and Kalgoorlie, Western Australia. We'd therefore expect it to air at some point in 2027. As soon as we have a release date for the series, we’ll update you here.
What other Sheridan Smith dramas can I watch now?
To see one of Sheridan’s most heartbreaking roles, we’d recommend Care. Sheridan plays Jenny, who’s raising her two daughters alone, but her mum, Mary’s (Alison Steadman) help is a lifeline for her. So when Mary develops dementia after a stroke, Jenny finds herself facing excruciating choices. You can watch Care now on Netflix. Another brilliant series is The Moorside. The two-part drama tells the true story of Shannon Matthews who was reported missing in Dewsbury, West Yorkshire, when she was just nine years old. Sheridan plays Julie Bushby, a woman on the Moorside estate where Shannon lived, who organised daily search teams to find her. The Moorside is available to watch now on ITVX.
