Having tasted great success with crime dramas this year, ITV are launching another this week in the shape of DI Ray, with viewers left to wonder if the new show is based on real life events.
In recent months millions have tuned into watch the third series of The Bay, the return of John Simm in Grace and, of course, the very real life crimes of canoe man John Darwin and his wife Anne in latest smash hit drama The Thief, His Wife and The Canoe. And a new month brings another new sleuthing series for ITV with DI Ray, which kicks off on Bank Holiday, Monday May 2.
The broadcaster's press team describe DI Ray as a 'compelling crime thriller,' about Leicester-born Rachita Ray, a police officer who takes on a case that forces her to confront a lifelong personal conflict between her British identity and her South Asian heritage.
READ MORE: What happened in Grace series one? ITV drama's return sparks confusion
The actress in the title role Parminder Nagra, will be instantly recognisable to viewers of cult classic Bend it Like Beckham. Rachita achieves the promotion she’s been waiting for when she’s asked to join a homicide investigation. However, on her first day she’s told the murder to which she’s been assigned is a ‘Culturally Specific Homicide.’ Rachita’s heart sinks – she suspects she’s a ‘token appointment’, chosen for her ethnicity rather than her ability.
Is DI Ray based on a true story?
No, while it deals with very real, very relatable and very relevant issues, DI Ray is not based on real life events. Instead, it is yet another series produced by Jed Mercurio, the man who has given us Line of Duty, Bodyguard and terrorist thriller Trigger Point, which gripped millions of viewers when it launched earlier this year with Line of Duty favourite Vicky McClure in the lead role.
DI Ray's script is from the pen of screenwriter Maya Sondhi, who commented: "This is a project which is deeply personal for me as a British Asian Brummie woman. It’s only in the past 10 years or so I’ve really been able to truly embrace my heritage. So much of this show is my story and in telling it honestly, I hope others from all different backgrounds will relate.”
