ITV’s latest crime drama Code of Silence - Feature

ITV’s latest crime drama Code of Silence arrives with more than just the usual promise of twists and thrills, it brings a refreshing and necessary shift in representation, anchored by a commanding performance from Rose Ayling-Ellis in her first leading television role since EastEnders. At the heart of this six-part series is a powerful concept: what happens when someone typically overlooked becomes a crucial asset in the hunt for justice?

Rose Ayling-Ellis plays Alison Woods, a Deaf catering worker in a London police station. Her extraordinary ability to lip-read puts her squarely in the middle of an undercover investigation. When police recruit her to monitor gang activity from a distance, Alison is pulled into a dangerous world where her silence, both literal and metaphorical is her strength, and sometimes her greatest vulnerability.

Where Code of Silence really shines is in its refusal to treat Deafness as either a gimmick or a limitation. The show’s creators, especially writer Catherine Moulton made it a priority to build a character whose identity isn’t just a plot point, but a living, breathing reality. Catherine who worked closely with Rose from the very beginning to get the project as accurate as she could gave us a surprising statistic: Between 30 and 40% of speech is visible on the lips, everything else is taken from educated guesses based on body language, tone of voice, what you know about the person, facial expressions and the situation that they are in. Catherine who is partially deaf herself then went on to say that lip readers are detectives so it was a no-brainer to have a lip reader as the lead in this project.

During a Q&A session after the screening, everyone who had been on set with Rose spoke about how hardworking and passionate about the project she was. Executive producer Bryony Arnold also mentioned that ITV made sure the set was fully accessible. We hired an access coordinator who was with us throughout the process. They were liaisons for any member of the crew to ask for some help. We made sure our base was accessible and it was the first time that the dining bus was made fully accessible for our disabled employees. Scenes in British Sign Language (BSL) are delivered without fanfare, woven naturally into the narrative. The show trusts the audience to keep up, giving them a glimpse of the reality lip readers face and it’s all the better for it.

The series builds tension slowly, with a moody, grounded tone that leans more towards psychological drama than high-octane action. It is this restraint that gives the characters room to breathe and the viewer’s time to digest. Charlotte Ritchie and Andrew Buchan bring depth to their roles as Alison’s police handlers, both morally compromised in their own quiet ways. The performances are uniformly strong, but it’s Rose Ayling-Ellis who gives the show its heart. Her portrayal is subtle, fierce, and often heartbreakingly vulnerable. She also has great on-screen connection and chemistry with co-star and love interest Kieron Moore.

Code of Silence isn’t just another crime drama. It’s a sharp, emotionally resonant series that dares to ask what power sounds like when it doesn’t speak at all. The writing and casting is perfect! Not only is this the thrilling drama of the year, it is also packed with wit and humour breaking down the stereotypes and subtly teaching its audience about this fascinating disability without spoon feeding and patronizing them.

Tune in to the first episode Sunday 18th May 9pm ITV