Just when we thought ITV couldn't possibly have any more genius ideas up its sleeve, the big bosses come up with another brilliant drama with a truly unnerving premise. Enter, First Woman, which stars Andrea Riseborough as an astronaut who's crewing the UK's first moonbase - that is, until she goes missing.
Ashley Walters, who you may remember from Netflix's Adolescence, plays Ben, who wakes up in his London home to discover his biologist wife Claire (Riseborough) has disappeared. The question is, how do you go missing when you're taking part in a groundbreaking research project - and who's responsible?
While we patiently await the show's arrival on ITV, here's everything you need to know about First Woman, including the plot, cast and how to watch it.
What is First Woman about?
The upcoming ITV thriller will revolve around the mystery of biologist and astronaut Claire Reith’s (Andrea Riseborough) disappearance and her husband, Ben's (Ashley Walters), mission to uncover the truth behind it. Claire is the first woman to step foot on the moon and has been crewing the UK’s first moonbase as part of a groundbreaking research project. It all comes to a unnerving end, however, when she vanishes into the long lunar night.
Her disappearance, which quickly becomes a global case, soon throws suspicion on her fellow astronauts and China’s rival base. Speaking of the series, Riseborough says: “As a kid, I dreamed, perhaps more than anything, of space. Of emptiness and stars, and the vastness of all that those ‘grounded’ reflected on in verse. I can’t imagine a kinder, bolder, braver team than Philip and Ashley with whom to step into that realm. This will be endlessly compelling - I hope - for all who want to journey with us. I cannot wait.”
Her co-star Ashley Walters added: “What an honour to be a part of such a bold and propulsive drama with a team of people that I have dreamt of working with. I always want to be a part of projects that make us converse and think outside the box. This one does just that.”
Who’s in the cast of First Woman?
So far, the cast of First Woman includes:
- Andrea Riseborough (Bloodline, pictured above) as Claire Reith
- Ashley Walters (Top Boy, Adolescence) as Ben Reith
We're expecting more cast news to be announced shortly, so watch this space for more details as we have them.
How can I watch First Woman?
ITV hasn’t yet shared a release date for First Woman, but we do know that filming has begun in Belfast. As soon as we have a confirmed release date, we’ll update you here.
What other mystery thrillers can I watch now?
For another brilliant thriller featuring an unexplainable disappearance, we'd recommend Vanished. When Alice (Kaley Cuoco) embarks on a romantic trip to the south of France with partner Tom (Sam Claflin), things take a dark turn when he goes missing - and Alice is left to trace his footsteps. Vanished is available to watch now on Prime Video. Another brilliant series is Harlan Coben’s Run Away. Simon Greene (James Nesbitt) finds his life capsized when his drug-addicted daughter Paige (Ellie de Lange) runs away. Minnie Driver plays his guilt-ridden wife while Ruth Jones is investigator Elena Ravenscroft. Run Away is available to watch now on Netflix.
