Ridley is a British police procedural drama created and written by Paul Matthew Thompson, a screenwriter on the police drama Vera, and Jonathan Fisher. The series is co-produced by Adrian Dunbar, who also stars as the title character.
The first of four feature-length mysteries aired on ITV on 28 August 2022. Filming took place on location, mainly in rural areas in the north of England in Lancashire, the Yorkshire Dales and on the Pennine moors, with some scenes set in Bolton. A second series was commissioned in 2023 and began airing in the United States starting Sunday, 15 September 2024 and aired in UK on ITV from Sunday 10 August 2025.
Contents
Premise
Alex Ridley (Adrian Dunbar) is a former detective inspector who is brought back in as a consultant some eighteen months after an early retirement, due to a nervous breakdown from having to come to terms with the loss of his wife and daughter in a house fire. He spends some of his retirement time as a pianist and singer in a jazz club of which he is a co-owner, and some episodes end with him singing. He assists former colleague Carol Farman (Bronagh Waugh), newly promoted to detective inspector.
Cast
Main
Adrian Dunbar as Alex Ridley, a retired detective inspector, now serving as a police consultant
Bronagh Waugh as DI Carol Farman, team leader and Ridley's former protege
Terence Maynard as DCI Paul Goodwin, Farman's boss
Georgie Glen as Wendy Newstone, police pathologist and chief forensics officer
George Bukhari as DC Darren Lakhan, a junior detective on Farman's team
Julie Graham as Annie Marling, owner of the jazz club and a close friend of Ridley
Bhavna Limbachia as Geri Farman, Carol's wife
Supporting
Aidan McArdle as Michael Flannery, a convicted criminal who murdered Ridley's wife and daughter
Jacquetta May as Kate Ridley, Ridley's wife, who died in the house fire (in flashbacks)
Kitty Watson as Ella Ridley, Ridley's daughter, who also died in the house fire (in flashbacks)
Tareq Al-Jeddal as Jack Farman, Carol and Geri's teenaged son