Ellis (also titled Inspector Ellis) is a British crime drama television series for Channel 5 starring Sharon D. Clarke as Detective Chief Inspector Ellis. It premiered in the United Kingdom on 31 October 2024 on Channel 5 with a three-part series.
A second series, consisting of four episodes, debuted on 10 March 2026.
Premise Detective chief inspector (DCI) Ellis and assistant Detective sergeant (DS) Harper are sent to help failing police investigations at different local police stations.
Cast Main Sharon D. Clarke as DCI Ellis Andrew Gower as DS Chet Harper
Recurring Allison Harding as Assistant chief constable (ACC) Leighton Charlotte McCurry as Detective Constable (DC) Kate Trent
Episodic Episode 1: Hanmore
Wayne Fosket as Michael Edwards Tom McKay as Eric Mercer Barry O'Connor as Peter Kelly Chris Reilly as DCI Jim Belmont Catherine Walker as Louise Edwards Michael Wildman as Stephen Mason Kaye Wragg as Linda Bradley
Noa Baurain as Rain Bradley Tallulah Evans as Carrie Booth Beau Gadsdon as Amy Mercer Freya Hannan-Mills as Maggie Bradley Brian Markey as Charles Braine Conor Sánchez as Aaron Kelly Daire Scully as Rowan Edwards Episode 2: Callorwell
Orla Charlton as Carla Duffy Tim Dutton as DCI Hain Jonathan Harden as Adam Reid Stephanie Levi-John as Naomi McKeith Paul Mallon as Tim Jones Sam Marks as DI Jamie Morrison
Kirsten Foster as CSI Christine Bennett Jenny Kavanagh as Jenny Rawler Aoibheann McCann as DC Leah Thompson Michael McCloskey-Ooi as Mark Reid Fionn Ó Loingsigh as Curtis Keogh William Travis as Sergeant Frank Landry Episode 3: Brindleton
Josh Bolt as DS Archie Dent Amanda Drew as DCI Cotton Rina Mahoney as Lydia Green Charlie De Melo as Leo Braxton Michael Simkins as Gerry Rees-Mortimer Charley Webb as Abbie Summerfield Mark Field as Kane Harrison Harry Marcus as Rory Summerfield Tama Matheson as Oz Hoffman Jade Matthew as Rachel Hoffman Shanaya Rafaat as Soraya Mansoori Richard Sherwood as Alex Scanlan David Sterne as Foster Lang Episodes 4 & 5: Ashenham John Hollingworth as Malcolm Oliver Sasha Desouza-Willock as PC Suravi Kareem Joel Morris as Joseph Ward Niamh Blackshaw as Jade Bell Cariad Lloyd as Pippa Ellerson Keir Charles as Chris Ellerson Sonny Walker as Kelvin Jones Episodes 6 & 7: Elmsly Mark Addy as Elliot Quinn Matilda Freeman as Mackenzie Quinn Stephen Tompkinson as DCI Chalmers Judy Flynn as Wendy Pyke Caroline O'Neill as Rosie Watts Jack Bandeira as Tim Selby Sophie Stanton as Tina Marshall
Production The series is written by Paul Logue and Siân Ejiwunmi-Le Berre and produced by Company Pictures. The three-part series consisting of two-hour episodes is executive produced by Catherine Mackin, Bea Tammer, Michele Buck and Lucy Raffety. Chris Martin is series producer.
Filming took place in Northern Ireland in the spring of 2024. Filming locations included Dromore in County Down, Gracehill in County Antrim near Ballymena,
The series was renewed for a second series with filming scheduled for June 2025.
Broadcast The series was broadcast on Channel 5 in the UK on 31 October 2024. It was launched internationally shortly after on Acorn TV under the title 'Inspector Ellis'.
The season launched with 'Hanmore' as the pilot and brought in 1.3 million viewers.
It started showing in the Netherlands on BBC NL on 17 July 2026.
Episodes Series 1 (2024)
Series 2 (2026)
Reception Writing in the Radio Times, Morgan Cormack said the show was "really rather good" and far from the cosy-crime genre that some viewers may have expected, and that it had some "very topical, gritty subject matter that has some eerie real-world similarities". Cormack also states that “Ellis certainly isn't the first enigmatic detective to grace our screens” but felt that scriptwriter Ejiwunmi-Le Berre successfully created a character "that doesn't fall into the stereotypical tropes".
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