ITV HAVE axed a hit crime drama with a huge Hollywood actress after just two series.
Fans have been left absolutely gutted after the commercial broadcaster has seemingly made yet another huge cut.
ITV has reportedly axed DI Ray amid a slew of cuts[/caption]
Parminder Nagra starred as the titular detective in the gritty crime drama[/caption]
An ITV spokesperson confirmed the show did not have high enough ratings to get recommissioned[/caption]
Bend It Like Beckham actress Parminder Nagra, 49, led the star-studded cast of DI Ray.
The star is also known for roles in huge projects such as NBC’s ER, The Blacklist and Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
She played the title role of DI Rachita Ray alongside the likes of Game Of Thrones and Killing Eve star Gemma Whelan.
Law & Order: UK actor Jamie Bamber completes the lineup playing DCI Martyn Hunter.
However, it’s been reported that ITV have axed the series due to ratings that were lower than expected.
An ITV spokesperson confirmed to TV Zone: “We’re really proud of what DI Ray achieved, but sadly the viewing figures for series two didn’t meet with ITV’s expectations.
“It’s always a very difficult decision not to recommission a drama and in this case DI Ray really brought a fresh perspective to the crime genre.”
They added: “We’d like to thank Parminder Nagra, Maya Sondhi and the team at HTM Television for two brilliant series.”
The drama followed Leicester-born inspector Ray who takes on a horrific homicide investigation.
However, the case forced her to confront a personal conflict she has faced throughout her life between her South Asian heritage and her British identity.
On her very first day, she was told the murder that she has been assigned to is a ‘culturally specific homicide’.
Despite waiting for the promotion, she suspected that she was chosen as a ‘token appointment’ for her ethnicity, rather than for the merits of her ability as an officer.
Although she stayed determined to solve the case and find the killer, she was left to call out the biases of her colleagues that they brought to the investigation.
This is combined with the fact that she had to look into the world of organised crime.
Crime dramas on ITVX
Crime drama buffs have a wide selection of choices on ITVX – here is a selection of some of the programmes available to binge.
- Professor T: Based on a Belgian TV series of the same name, former Death in Paradise lead Ben Miller plays the title character. Professor Jasper Tempest is a criminologist with OCD who helps the police solve crimes. The cast also includes Emma Naomi, Barney White and Andy Gathergood.
- The Beast Must Die: This series follows a mother’s grief for her son, who was killed in an accident. Nicholas Blake’s novel of the same name has been adapted for the programme. Stars include Cush Jumbo, Jared Harris, Billy Howle and Geraldine James.
- Red Eye: Starring Richard Armitage, Jing Lusi and Lesley Sharp star in this six-part thriller, which mostly takes place during an all-night flight between London and Beijing. With dead bodies piling up and a mystery to unravel, the heroes must work fast to get to the truth.
- The Twelve: This Australian drama originally aired as a miniseries in 2022, with the episodes dropping in the UK in February 2023. Four months later, the show was renewed for a second season. Jurassic Park star Sam Neill stars in the leading role of barrister Brett Colby.
- Manhunt: Martin Clunes stars in this drama based on true murder investigations. Series one focused on the death of Amélie Delagrange, which took place in 2004, while the second depicted the search for serial rapist Delroy Grant.
This comes after ITV announced sweeping changes to its Daytime output.
Good Morning Britain will be produced by a team at ITV News at their headquarters at Gray’s Inn Road.
Meanwhile Loose Women and Lorraine will only air on a seasonal basis for 30 weeks of the year.
Lorraine Kelly will also only take to the airwaves for half an hour at a time for a reduced show from January.
This Morning will also join the other programmes in moving out of the Television Centre complex in White City and will be broadcast from a new studio – rumoured to be at the Hospital Club.
Parminder Nagra stars as the title role as she is brought on to solve a complicated homicide case[/caption]
Game Of Thrones actress Gemma Whelan also leads the cast of the cancelled show[/caption]
Former EastEnders actress Annette Badland also made a guest appearance in the show[/caption]
DI Ray is available to stream on ITVX.
