Sheridan Smith confirmed for “exhilarating” new TV mystery thriller following BAFTA nomination

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Sheridan Smith, recently nominated for a BAFTA TV Award for her performance as a leading actress, will next appear in the ITV mystery thriller series, Two Birds.

Naomi Smith, known for her BAFTA-nominated performance as Ann Ming in ‘I Fought the Law,’ will appear with Judy Davis (from ‘Nitram’) and Stephen Peacocke (‘The Newsreader’) in a new TV series. The series will be filmed and set in Western Australia.

Two Birds is a six-episode series created by Helen FitzGerald, author of The Cry, and directed by James Griffiths, who worked on The Ballad of Wallis Island. The story unfolds in Kalgoorlie, a secluded mining town in Australia, and filming is scheduled to begin this spring in Perth and Kalgoorlie.

Naomi Smith will star as Izzie Cornwell, a British police officer who moves to the small town of Dugdale hoping for a fresh start after the recent loss of her husband. She plans to begin a new life in Australia.

The series follows Izzie as she tries to overcome her grief and reconnect with her sister, who lives in the Kalgoorlie area with her husband. More importantly, Izzie wants to repair her relationship with her twenty-year-old daughter, who is worried about her mother’s recent actions.

Izzie teams up with her new boss, Detective Matt (Stephen Peacocke), to solve a murder. The investigation becomes more complicated when they discover the victim was connected to a powerful and dangerous local crime family, headed by the intimidating Mrs. Baxter (Judy Davis).

Driven to safeguard her family and find out what really happened, Mrs. Baxter relentlessly pushes for answers in the investigation. However, the night before Izzie starts working on the case, a final, ill-advised celebration takes a terrible turn. A quick decision has irreversible consequences, leaving Izzie with a secret she’s desperate to hide.

Smith expressed her excitement about playing Izzie Cornwell in the series, describing the character as a fascinating and complicated woman starting over in Australia. She praised author Helen FitzGerald for creating such a compelling role, noting that Izzie unexpectedly finds herself caught up in a tangled situation of secrets and deception.

I’m excited to film in Australia again and collaborate with the teams at AC Chapter One, ITV, and STAN to create Two Birds.

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FitzGerald explained he’s been imagining the characters Izzie Cornwell and Mrs. Baxter for years, considering them his most personal creations. He’d hoped Sheridan and Judy would be cast in those roles, and was thrilled when Griff confirmed they both agreed. He described the casting as a dream come true.

ITV’s drama chief, Callum Dziedzic, praised the series Two Birds, saying the script immediately felt exceptional. He highlighted the show’s compelling premise and Helen FitzGerald’s skill in creating a fast-paced, surprising thriller with relatable characters.

Honestly, Sheridan is just incredible as Izzie – she brings such a unique warmth and emotional depth to the role. I’m really excited for everyone to experience her performance and to see the breathtaking scale of the gold mine location in Dugdale for themselves. It’s truly something special.

Two Birds will air on ITV1 and ITVX.

Authors

James HibbsDrama Writer

I’ve been following TV for ages, and I’m currently a writer at TopMob, covering shows on everything from Netflix and Hulu to traditional networks. Before this, I was in PR – first at a business-to-business agency, then at Fremantle, a big international production company. My background is actually in English and Theatre Studies – I have a BA in that – but I also got a journalism diploma, an NCTJ Level 5, to really sharpen my writing skills.

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2026-03-25 17:34