When Alice (Hawes), husband Harry (Jason Merrells) and daughter Charlotte (Isabella Pappas) move into a new home, it’s meant to be the start of a brand new chapter in their lives. But things soon go drastically wrong when Harry is found dead inside the property.

Following her partner’s sudden passing, Alice’s world is turned upside down – and to make matters worse, her new house (which was designed by her husband) is the kind of gadget-filled smart home that’s more useless than user-friendly. Cue much befuddlement.

Add her disruptive parents (Joanna Lumley and Nigel Havers) and in-laws, questions from the police about Harry’s death, and revelations about her husband’s business dealings into the mix and you’ve got one almighty headache for Alice. Luckily for her, daughter Charlotte is on hand to act like the adult of the house. But at what cost?

With its blend of dark humour, drama, mystery and heart, Finding Alice is definitely one of the first unmissable dramas of 2021. Discover even more about it from star and co-creator Keeley Hawes…

On co-creating the show with Roger Goldby and Simon Nye…

“We started talking about wanting to do something together as we came to the end of our experience on The Durrells. We have a great dynamic and wanted to continue that. It’s a hugely luxurious thing to work with Simon and Roger. To have them writing with me in mind made it so exciting. My voice was there from the beginning.”

On viewers relating to Alice…

“Alice is a unique creation. While I really hope some people will relate to her, I can’t be responsible for their grief. Grief is so unique to all of us. For a parent or a child, it’s unique to all of us. The whole thing is as devastating as it can be, so [Alice] goes on this journey to unravel this mess.”

On how Alice adapts to becoming a widow…

“Some of Alice’s reactions are unexpected, but that’s simply due to who she is as a person. It’s her nature. She doesn’t turn into a completely different person because of her grief. She is the same person she was before.”

On husband Harry’s secrets…

“Harry’s secrets weren’t malicious towards Alice. All his secrets were to protect her, because he adored her. Such is life. I think lots of people have probably had the same experience.”

On Alice’s relationship with her mum, played by Joanna Lumley...

“Alice and her mum are too similar, in many ways. There is a bit of friction there. Whether she’d like to admit it or not, Alice has a few of her mum’s traits.”

On the show’s humour…

Daughter Charlotte, played by Isabella Pappas

“There’s so much humour to be found in it. Even when humour isn’t to be found in a line, the cast were doing things with the script that was a lovely surprise.”

On being an executive producer…

“It’s been such a brilliant experience. At this point in the game, what I’m finding is it brings a new level of interest and excitement. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed being part of the development process.”

On the day-to-day making of the series…

“There will be days that aren’t so great, but on the whole, I’m thrilled. Look at the people I’m working with. It’s a joy. That might sound a bit sickly but that’s how I feel!”

When is Finding Alice on TV?

The first episode of Finding Alice will air at 9pm on Sunday 17 January on ITV HD (CH 103/113). Subsequent episodes will be broadcast on ITV HD weekly.

After episode 1 has been broadcast, the entire series will be available to watch in Apps & Games > ITV Hub.