The Stolen Girl: ITV to air the stolen girl on February 25
The Stolen Girl makes its UK broadcast debut on Wednesday 25th February at 9pm, bringing the five-part adaptation of Alex Dahl’s novel Playdate to a wider audience. The stolen girl began life on Disney+ in April last year and now arrives on linear television under a new content-sharing extension between ITV and Disney.
New pact expands content sharing
ITV and Disney are deepening their content sharing pact in the UK. The extension follows an existing streaming agreement that exchanges limited amounts of content between the services, and the new arrangement will see a pair of Hulu originals run on the ITV1 broadcast network. Both shows will be broadcast under the brand 'Disney+ presents a Hulu Original' on ITV.
Debut timing and episode plan
Debuting tomorrow is The Stolen Girl, the Quay Street Productions and Brightstar drama that launched on Disney+ in April last year. The Stolen Girl is a five-part series comprising five episodes; its ITV debut is scheduled for Wednesday, February 25, at 9pm, with the remaining instalments airing weekly. For viewers who prefer to binge, the complete boxset is available to stream on ITVX.
Plot: sleepover, disappearance, empty house
The Stolen Girl follows a mother whose young daughter goes missing after a sleepover, unfolding into a story of deception, family secrets, and betrayal. Nine-year-old Lucia is keen to have her first sleepover at her new friend Josie's house. Elisa Blix, played by Denise Gough, is Lucia's mother and a cabin manager on private jets; she initially has reservations but, after meeting Josie's mum Rebecca and visiting their home, consents to the overnight stay. When Elisa and her husband Fred Blix, played by Jim Sturgess, arrive to collect Lucia the following day, Rebecca, Josie and Lucia have vanished without trace. The house stands empty save for a cleaner who informs the devastated couple that "no one lives here. "
Cast and characters
The cast includes Denise Gough as Elisa Blix and Jim Sturgess as Fred Blix, the criminal barrister whose world is turned upside down when his daughter is kidnapped. Holliday Grainger plays Rebecca Walsh, the seemingly sweet and charming mother of Josie who convinces Elisa to let Lucia spend the night. Ambika Mod appears as Selma Desai, a driven journalist at Dash Voice who, feeling the police aren’t moving fast enough, leads her own investigation. DI Shona Sinclair is the lead investigator on Lucia's case and is played by Bronagh Waugh. Marcus Turner is a hotelier and Elisa's former lover who is currently serving time in prison. Xavier Samuel also appears in the series.
Cast credits and background
Denise Gough is known for Olivier Award-winning stage work in People, Places and Things and Angels in America, and on screen for roles including Dedra Meero in Andor, Connie Mortensen in Too Close, and the titular role in the thriller Paula. Jim Sturgess is an English actor and singer-songwriter, best known for playing Jude in Across the Universe, Ben Campbell in 21, and Dexter Mayhew in the 2011 One Day film; his other credits include Cloud Atlas, Fifty Dead Men Walking, and voice work in Legend of the Guardians. Holliday Grainger may be familiar to viewers as DCI Rachel Carey in The Capture, which is set to return for a third season this March; her credits also include Waterloo Road, Mickey 17, Strike, and Cinderella. Ambika Mod is known for playing Emma Morley in the 2024 Netflix series One Day, her breakout role as Shruti Acharya in the 2022 drama This Is Going to Hurt, and appearances in I Hate Suzie. Bronagh Waugh’s credits include The Fall and Hollyoaks, on which she starred from 2009 to 2013, and she has also appeared in Ridley, Viewpoint, Unforgotten, Derry Girls, and Death in Paradise. Xavier Samuel’s career highlights listed include The Twilight Saga: Eclipse, Elvis, Blonde, The Loved Ones, Adore, Anonymous, Fury, and the TV shows The Clearing an
Complementary title and broader rollout
Following The Stolen Girl later in the year will be The Twisted Tale of Amanda Knox, a drama that explores the real-life murder case that captivated global audiences and examines themes of media scrutiny, justice and public perception. The addition of both series is cited as an example of local TV networks working with global players to build out their content offers; in July last year, Disney+ added a 'Taste of ITVX' rail and ITVX added a 'Taste of Disney+' rail, providing a curated portion of the other’s content for their own streaming services.
Executive reactions and viewer buzz
Karl Holmes, General Manager, Disney+ EMEA, said: "This marks an exciting next step in our collaboration with ITV. We’re thrilled that two of our most compelling original series will air on ITV’s powerful primetime platform, introducing millions more viewers to Hulu Originals on Disney+. " Kevin Lygo, Managing Director of Media and Entertainment, added: "We are delighted to be deepening our relationship with Disney. Bringing these premium Original series into our primetime linear schedule is fantastic for ITV audiences. This extension perfectly complements our existing relationship and showcases the strength of the content-sharing model we established last summer. "
Viewer reaction online has described the show as "Very suspenseful! I thoroughly enjoyed this. If you like any of Harlan Coben's series, you'll enjoy this. " Other comments called it "Such an exciting watch. Very suspenseful and leaves viewers guessing until the end. " One viewer said: "I saw the entire show in ONE GO. The show starts and holds you. The performances are perfect. Direction flawless... production values excellent. Just watch it and come back here and tell me that you got hooked on it. Go watch it and enjoy the ride. "
The stolen girl moves from a streaming launch last April to a primetime broadcast slot on Wednesday 25th February at 9pm, marking the latest step in a widening content partnership between the two broadcasters.
