The Confessions of Frannie Langton is a new four-part series that follows a young protagonist born into a life of slavery who is fighting to tell her own story.
We see Frannie Langton move from a Jamaican plantation to a Mayfair mansion owned by celebrated scientist George Benham and his wife Madame Marguerite Benham, but Frannie has been sent there to serve the household as a maid, much to her chagrin.
When a terrible crime is committed, the blame is placed on Frannie, with the series following her as she fights for justice. The gripping new period drama is coming to ITV1 soon and is already available on ITVX, and is adapted for the screen by the original author, Sara Collins who won the Costa first novel award in 2019.
Commenting on the series, Sara Collins said: "For so long I've wondered why we never see period dramas featuring black protagonists that also happen to be 'whodunnits', love stories or juicy, addictive dramas, rather than stories of victimhood. It's an absolute dream come true to be collaborating with Drama Republic and ITV on adapting Frannie for television, even more meaningful because I hope it will be all of those things, and because I know how powerful it is to see yourself represented on-screen in fresh stories that stamp all over stale old stereotypes."
Here's everything we know...
The Confessions of Frannie Langton release date
The Confessions of Frannie Langton arrives on ITV1 on Monday, August 21 at 9 pm.
You can already watch the series on ITVX.
In the US it is available on BritBox.
The Confessions of Frannie Langton plot
In the four-part series, we follow Frannie’s journey from a Jamaican plantation to the grand Mayfair mansion of celebrated scientist George Benham and his wife, Madame Marguerite Benham.
Frannie finds herself gifted to Benham by the man who owns her, John Langton, and she is employed as a maid in the household much to her chagrin. But things soon take an even darker turn, as the Benhams are found murdered.
With a shocked Frannie lying next to Marguerite, she is accused of murder. After being dragged away to prison, Frannie attempts to piece together the events of that fateful night.
Speaking about the plot, TV Drama Commissioner Chloe Tucker said: "We are delighted that Sara is adapting her fantastic novel for ITV. Frannie is a character who immediately gets under your skin, and via a twisting and turning whodunnit Sara explores our history with slavery in the UK. The Confessions of Frannie Langton is an exciting and compelling drama that will hook and surprise the audience, and I'm also pleased to be working with Drama Republic on their first show for ITV."
The Confessions of Frannie Langton cast
Karla-Simone Spence (Blue Story) stars as Frannie Langton, with Sophie Cookson (Kingsman: The Secret Service) as Madame Marguerite Benham, Stephen Campbell Moore (War of The Worlds) as George Benham, completing the main trio.
Also in the cast list are Steven MacIntosh (Rocketman) as John Langton and Henry Pettigrew (The Danish Girl) as William Pettigrew, and Patrick Martins (Redemption) as Laddie Lightning.
Speaking about her titular role, Karla-Simone Spence told ITV: "In a non-spoiling nutshell, Frannie is a young Jamaican woman that was born into slavery and she's brought over from Jamaica to Georgian London. And she is given as a gift to this family, the Benhams, and she works there as a maid and falls in love with her mistress. Frannie is one of a kind.
"Her journey is so in-depth and takes so many twists and turns. I can’t think of another story like it – it’s not just about trauma but about love and all the different things that she experiences."
Is there a trailer?
Yes, a trailer is available which you can watch below.
