EXCLUSIVE: mandatory line Star Anna Maxwell Martin and oh Actor Shaun Evans is to direct an ITV true crime series about a woman who escapes a near-fatal relationship with a killer.
BAFTA winner Maxwell Martin stars as Delia Balmer, a woman who falls in love with murderer John Sweeney (Evans) and survives a horrific attack to provide crucial evidence to prosecute her former lover.
Delia Balmer (working title) is produced by World Productions with support from ITV Studios bodyguard And mandatory line. Based on Balmer’s book Living with a serial killeris the four-part series written by Nick Stevens, who wrote the Luke Evans drama The Pembrokeshire Murders.
Balmer, an employment agency nurse, met Sweeney in a London bar in 1991. His artistic, anti-establishment persona gave way to threateningly violent attacks on Balmer, during which he confessed to killing his ex-girlfriend and taking her body to a hospital where the Amsterdam moat was filled.
Sweeney was arrested but released on bail after a court default. He pursued Balmer and subjected her to a near fatal attack before evading capture. Balmer rebuilt her life before confronting Sweeney seven years later after he was arrested for the murder of another friend. Her fragile recovery was cut short again when she confronted Sweeney in court and testified for the prosecution.
World executive producer Simon Heath said: “Delia’s story is unique and powerful, about a woman who survived horrific violence at the hands of a man who should never have been free to commit his heinous crimes. Delia’s story sheds light on the inadequacy of the legal system when it comes to addressing male violence against women and unfortunately still resonates today.
Stevens described Balmer as a “hero” who continued to suffer from PTSD more than 10 years after Sweeney’s conviction. “[She is] a survivor whose determination to pursue the good in life — dancing, traveling, living — ultimately outweighs her demons,” Stevens added.
chin horn (The devil’s hour) is the producer while Julia Ford (All I know about love) direct. The drama was commissioned from ITV by Polly Hill, Head of Drama, and Huw Kennair-Jones, Drama Commissioner.
Distributed by ITV Studios Delia Balmer. Filming begins this month and production has been supported by the Welsh Government through Creative Wales.
Source: Deadline
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