Channel 4 is gearing up to launch a psychological drama that’s already generating buzz across the UK television landscape. Hunting Alice Bell, a six-part series produced by Clapperboard Studios in association with Sphere Abacus, brings together a powerhouse cast including Simon Pegg, Alexandra Roach, Amanda Abbington, Ralf Little, Emily Barber, Toni O’Rourke, Christina Bennington, and Rudi Dharmalingam. The show’s premise and its remarkable ensemble are drawing attention not just for their star power, but for the deeply unsettling real-life inspiration behind the story.
According to Deadline, the series is based on a script crafted by British comedian and broadcaster David Baddiel and his frequent collaborator, Guardian journalist Peter Bradshaw. They’re joined in the writers’ room by Polly Buckle and Kate Vergese, with Paul Walker at the helm as director. Executive producers include Mike Benson and Rachel Gesua for Clapperboard Studios, alongside Baddiel, Bradshaw, Buckle, Jonathan Ford, and Will Stapley. Tamryn Reinecke leads production, while Sphere Abacus has signed on as the international distributor, a detail revealed exclusively by Deadline on September 8, 2025.
The story at the heart of Hunting Alice Bell is as gripping as it is disturbing. The drama centers on Alice Bell, a former nurse and the lover—and accomplice—of a notorious anaesthetist serial killer. Now living somewhere in Britain under a new identity, Alice’s past seems buried. But the digital age has a way of digging up secrets. When Fran Da Silva, played by Alexandra Roach (Nightsleeper), is accused online of being Alice Bell, her ordinary life implodes. The online mob’s fury doesn’t stop with Fran. She soon discovers that several other women have faced similar accusations, their lives upended by the same viral suspicion.
What follows is a tense alliance. Fran and her fellow accused band together in an effort to clear their names. But as they dig deeper, an unsettling question hangs over the group: is one of them actually the real Alice Bell? The series plays with the notion of identity in an era where social media can both construct and destroy reputations with frightening speed.
“Over time it developed into a six-part drama, and more focused on the way that this kind of destructive rumour-mongering, which can incite riots and mob rage, is now intensified by social media,” said David Baddiel, as reported by Deadline and Good Housekeeping. “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. This happens to the five women in Hunting Alice Bell: in a world where identity is very fluid, they have lost control of theirs.”
The show’s inspiration is chillingly real. As Baddiel explained, the idea sprang from actual cases in the UK where women were “terrorized by the local population after suspicions start of them being various national hate figures, secretly living in the community.” What began as a feature film concept evolved into a serialized drama after Baddiel brought it to Clapperboard Studios while working on another project. The writers decided to tackle not just the impact of public suspicion but also how digital platforms amplify and perpetuate such fears—sometimes with devastating consequences.
Channel 4’s Head of Acquisitions, Polly Scates, expressed her enthusiasm for the project, telling Deadline, “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.”
The cast is indeed extraordinary. Alongside Roach as Fran, Amanda Abbington (Sherlock) plays Julie, Emily Barber (MobLand) is Vanessa, Toni O’Rourke (God’s Creatures) is Ros, Christina Bennington (Halo) is Charlotte, Rudi Dharmalingam (The Lazarus Project) is Nick, Ralf Little (Death in Paradise) plays Graham Hunter, and Simon Pegg (Mission Impossible) appears as Dr. Jason Nash. Their collective experience across British television and film promises a series packed with nuanced performances and emotional depth.
Senior Executive Producer Rachel Gesua at Clapperboard Studios highlighted the show’s relevancy, stating, “Hunting Alice Bell is a story for our times, exploring what happens when the online mob come for a group of ordinary women and the devastating effect that can have. David, Peter and the writing team have created a bold and provocative drama, brimming with unforgettable characters and brought to life by the most extraordinary cast. We are thrilled to be working with the team at Channel 4 and Sphere Abacus on such a compelling drama.”
The drama’s fictional narrative is rooted in the real-world phenomenon of mistaken identity and the dangers of digital vigilantism. In recent years, several high-profile UK cases have seen innocent people targeted by online mobs convinced they’ve unmasked secret criminals living among them. These incidents sometimes escalate to actual harassment, threats, or even violence, spurred by social media’s capacity to amplify suspicion and outrage. Hunting Alice Bell draws from these sobering realities, asking viewers to consider how quickly a person’s life can be upended by rumor—and how hard it is to reclaim one’s identity once it’s been hijacked by the public imagination.
The show also delves into the psychological toll of such accusations. Fran Da Silva’s family life collapses as she becomes the target of online hatred, a scenario that echoes real-life stories where the accused find themselves isolated, fearful, and desperate for vindication. The drama doesn’t shy away from the complexities of guilt, innocence, and the gray areas in between—especially when the possibility lingers that one of the accused may, in fact, be the person everyone fears.
While Channel 4 has yet to announce an official release date for Hunting Alice Bell, anticipation is building. The series promises not only a riveting mystery but also a timely exploration of how technology and public perception intersect to shape, and sometimes shatter, personal narratives. For viewers drawn to psychologically charged stories that reflect the anxieties of the digital age, this drama looks set to be unmissable.
In a television landscape crowded with thrillers and whodunnits, Hunting Alice Bell stands out for its blend of real-world relevance, strong writing, and top-tier acting talent. As audiences await its debut, the series is already prompting reflection on the perils of modern rumor, the fragility of identity, and the power of collective belief—reminding us that sometimes, the scariest mysteries are the ones that could happen to any of us.
