Key Points
- ITV premiered Winter, a six-part crime drama adapted by David Allison and Mark Greig from the French series Balthazar.
- Richard Armitage plays reclusive forensic pathologist Dr Ethan Winter alongside Annabel Scholey as Detective Inspector Lauren Bell.
- Eagle Eye Drama produced the series, filming in Bristol and Belgium ahead of its 30 September 2026 debut on ITV1 and ITVX.
- Major British broadsheets gave the drama mixed reviews, noting formulaic writing, familiar tropes, and divided opinions on the lead performances.
- Reviewers termed the show a “potboiler in a belted trenchcoat”, pointing to a split between viewers looking for light escapism and those wanting complex crime drama.
BRISTOL (Edinburgh Daily) October 2, 2026 — As reported by Sarah Dempster of The Guardian, the six-part ITV drama Winter centers on Dr Ethan Winter (played by Richard Armitage), a reclusive, lone-wolf forensic pathologist operating out of a mortuary outside Bristol.
Adapted from the long-running French television series Balthazar by screenwriters David Allison and Mark Greig, the drama follows Dr Winter as he partners with newly assigned Detective Inspector Lauren Bell (Annabel Scholey) to investigate complex homicides.
As detailed by Nick Hilton of The Independent, the narrative kicks off as Winter loiters over fresh corpses deposited at his Bristol mortuary.
In early scenes, Winter addresses a body with the words “Hello Julie” while music plays on the stereo, establishing his unusual demeanor before DI Lauren Bell is introduced as the straight-laced officer tasked with adapting to his unconventional methods. The supporting cast features Jamie Kenna as DS Ellis Daldry, who acts as a weary buffer between the two lead characters.
How have television critics responded to Richard Armitage’s portrayal of Dr Ethan Winter?
As reported by Nick Hilton of The Independent, the performance of Richard Armitage presents “a reclusive maverick who doesn’t play by the rules”. Hilton observed that both Armitage and Scholey deliver their performances as “cadaverously cold ciphers”, which leaves the central relationship “desperate for an injection of energy”.
Hilton awarded the broadcast a critical assessment, arguing that while the drama is competent, it remains “painfully short on thrills” and feels “lifeless, ready to be slid back into a drawer at the morgue for disappointing telly”.
Conversely, as reported by Sarah Dempster of The Guardian, Armitage’s screen presence provides a specific escapist appeal. Dempster described the series as being “as ferociously watchable as it is daft”, noting that Armitage’s sixth appearance in a television thriller since 2021 acts as a “seal of quality, or at least an assurance that the ensuing brooding will be accompanied by gratuitous demonstrations of upper-body strength”.
Dempster highlighted scenes where Dr Winter dashes across fields and shouts “FAECES!” and “ROTTING MEAT … IT’S A DEAD BODY!”, characterizing the show as a “potboiler in a belted trenchcoat”.
What key plot devices and writing tropes feature in the production?
As reported by Matthew Moore of Hello! Magazine, lead actor Richard Armitage acknowledged the dramatic tension built into the script, stating: “Our job was to find the thorns and the razor blades between them, rather than the accord… It’s watching them butt heads which is the more difficult side of it”
. Armitage also addressed the narrative structure, noting: “these stories in this show are challenging. They’re difficult to solve, we’re not going to spoon-feed the audience an easy plot that they can figure out for themselves”.
However, critical analysis points to heavy reliance on traditional procedural tropes. As noted by Nick Hilton of The Independent, the dialogue features worn exchange patterns, including dialogue where DI Bell’s husband observes, “He’s a handsome guy, your doctor friend,” to which Bell replies, “I’m more likely to kill him than screw him”. Hilton remarked that the mystery elements remain “silly but not excessively confusing” while noting the writing is often “plodding”.
Furthermore, reports from WalesOnline highlighted viewer reactions to graphic autopsy scenes in episode one, where pathologists examine a frozen body discovered in the back of a lorry, prompting discussions over the show’s violent content warnings.
Background of the particular development
The arrival of Winter on ITV1 and ITVX represents the latest international adaptation commissioned by Eagle Eye Drama. The series is directly adapted from Balthazar, a French crime series created by Clothilde Jamin and Clélia Constantine that ran for five seasons between 2018 and 2023. Filming for the British version commenced in February 2026, with locations split between Bristol, England, and Belgium under directors Dries Vos and Kaat Beels.
Richard Armitage’s casting builds upon a long-standing career in British television and film, ranging from Spooks and The Hobbit to recent thriller titles. Armitage has expressed long-term hopes for the franchise, comparing the potential longevity of Winter to his former work on Spooks and stating there is “enough fuel in this character to expand over hopefully four or five or six seasons”. Co-star Annabel Scholey similarly expressed interest in continuing the dynamic across future series, though ITV has not yet formally confirmed a second season order.
Prediction: How this development can affect the prime-time television audience
The critical and public response to Winter highlights a growing divide within the prime-time British television audience. For mainstream viewers who favor traditional midweek procedurals, Winter offers an accessible, high-concept drama that fits alongside established network favorites such as Silent Witness.
The familiar combination of episodic murder mysteries, star-driven lead performances, and dark forensic elements ensures a stable baseline of linear and catch-up viewership on ITVX.
Conversely, for audiences accustomed to prestige, complex crime serials, the heavy use of genre clichés and predictable character dynamics may lead to viewer fatigue. As broadcasters continue to commission adaptations of established overseas formats, the performance of Winter will likely influence future programming strategies.
Strong ratings could encourage further investments in pulp-style, character-led crime series, whereas critical resistance to repetitive formulas may prompt commissioning executives to demand greater narrative innovation in future peak-time slots.
