She'll play a flight attendant who's blackmailed into drug smuggling as her son serves a fifteen-year sentence in Bulgaria for murder. A crime she swears he did not commit.
Today, Channel 4 has announced a gripping new six-part crime thriller, In Flight, which follows Jo Conran, a flight attendant played by Katherine Kelly who finds her life turned upside down when she is blackmailed into drug smuggling after her son is arrested.
Jo is a single mum working as a flight attendant whose son is serving a fifteen-year sentence in a Bulgarian prison for a murder he swears he did not commit. When approached by a gang who know all about her son, she's blackmailed into using her job to smuggle drugs and soon finds herself pulled into a murky underworld of corrupt cops and hired killers, forced to carry out their orders with no escape in sight.
However, no matter how far Jo finds herself from her old life, her mission remains the same and that's to keep her son alive.
In Flight is set against the fast-paced, high-pressure world of global air travel and will follow Jo’s relentless quest to protect her family while entangled in a dangerous criminal syndicate.
Set across dynamic global locations including Bangkok, Bulgaria, Istanbul and London, filming will take place in Belfast with funding support from Northern Ireland Screen.
Joining the ensemble cast are Stuart Martin as Cormac, a key member of the criminal gang; and Ashley Thomas as Dom, a customs officer at a major London airport, plus Bronagh Waugh as Melanie, Harry Cadby as Sonny, Corinna Brown as Kayla and Ambreen Razia as Zara.
On starring in In Flight, Katherine Kelly said "I am really excited to be taking on the role of Jo and I can’t wait to tell her compelling story. I am delighted to be working with Buccaneer Media again and it’s joy to be filming in Belfast."
To which writers and co-creators Mike Walden and Adam Randall added "In Flight is our spin on the noir genre, a high stakes, stylish, romantic thriller with iconic characters and nerve shredding action. Channel 4 is the perfect home for our story and we're so excited to be collaborating with such a brilliant team. Jo is a character close to our hearts. She is an ordinary woman facing extraordinary odds. We can't wait for audiences to meet her."
Produced by Buccaneer Media, In Flight is written and co-created by Mike Walden and Adam Randall, directed by Chris Baugh, produced by Brendan Mullin and executive produced by Anna Burns, Tony Wood and Richard Tulk-Hart for Buccaneer, Rebecca Dundon and Simon Judd for Fremantle, Mike Walden, Adam Randall and Chris Baugh. Gary Davy is Casting Director.
Acquired for Channel 4 by their Head of Acquisitons, Polly Scates, she said "We’re thrilled to have In Flight on our scripted slate and beyond excited that the brilliant Katherine Kelly is on board to lead the series. This unique crime drama will take our audience on a thrilling journey through terrifying worlds, but at the real heart of this story is just how far a parent will go to keep their child safe. We’re excited to be working with the team at Buccaneer to bring this story to screen."
To which Richard Tulk-Hart, Executive Producer at Buccaneer added "At a difficult time for the industry In Flight shows the power of bringing a number of partners together to make something happen. So a big thank you to SBS, TVNZ, ProSieben and Fremantle for also seeing the potential in these scripts at such an early stage."
Anna Burns, Executive Producer at Buccaneer, said "In Flight is a real passion project for me and my fellow execs, Tony and Richard, and we could not be more excited about the team we have in place to bring Mike and Adam's gripping creation to life. We're so proud to be making this show for Channel 4 and cannot wait to take the audience on Jo's heart-pounding journey."
And finally, Rebecca Dundon, Executive Producer at Fremantle said, "In Flight is a surprising, propulsive standout - a high-stakes action crime thriller that combines the intensity of international drug smuggling with the emotional depth of a mother’s relentless quest to save her son. Set against the high-pressure world of global travel, this series offers a fresh, commercially powerful mix of suspense, sacrifice, and gripping drama. I couldn’t put the script down, and audiences everywhere will feel the same."
In Flight will air in 2025 on Channel 4
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