Death in Paradise legend confirmed to join cast of all-star psychological thriller on "destructive rumour-mongering"
Ralf Little will star alongside Alexandra Roach and Simon Pegg in Hunting Alice Bell.
The cast has been confirmed for a new psychological drama on Channel 4, Hunting Alice Bell, with a Death in Paradise legend amongst the names announced.
Ralf Little, who played Neville Parker on the BBC detective series, has joined the cast, alongside Alexandra Roach (Lazarus), Simon Pegg (Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning), Amanda Abbington (Sherlock), Emily Barber (MobLand), Christina Bennington (Halo) and Rudi Dharmalingam (Missing You).
The series comes from comedian, writer and broadcaster David Baddiel, along with his frequent writing partner Peter Bradshaw, with Polly Buckle and Kate Vergese also joining as writers.
The synopsis for Hunting Alice Bell says: "Alice Bell is a former nurse, and also the lover, and accomplice, of a notorious anaesthetist serial killer. She is presently living in Britain under a new identity. When, online, Fran Da Silva is accused of being Alice Bell, her happy family life implodes in a wave of mob hate.
"Then she discovers she’s not the only woman to suffer this fate. Fran and the other accused women band together to fight back and clear their names. But as they battle to prove their innocence, what if one of the group is lying – and is the real Alice Bell?”
Baddiel said, as reported by Deadline, that the concept for the series came from real cases of British women who were terrorised by the general public over suspicions they were national hate figures secretly living in the community.
He said: "Over time it developed into a six-part drama, and more focussed on the way that this kind of destructive rumour-mongering, which can incite riots and mob rage, is now intensified by social media.
"Technology has created a whole new spin on the idea of mistaken identity. We are told that in the present culture anyone can be who they want to be, but that also means that anyone can have who they are taken away from them: the hive mind can decide who you are.
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"This happens to the five women in Hunting Alice Bell: in a world where identity is very fluid, they have lost control of theirs.”
Head of Acquisitions at Channel 4, Polly Scates, said: "As we continue to build our scripted slate, I am really excited to collaborate with Clapperboard and Sphere Abacus on this gripping whodunnit. With a remarkable creative team behind it and such a fantastic cast, we are confident this project will captivate our viewers and keep them guessing."
Hunting Alice Bell will air on Channel 4.
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Authors
James Hibbs is a Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering programmes across both streaming platforms and linear channels. He previously worked in PR, first for a B2B agency and subsequently for international TV production company Fremantle. He possesses a BA in English and Theatre Studies and an NCTJ Level 5 Diploma in Journalism.
