The Stolen Girl to debut on ITV as broadcasters expand cross‑platform content pact
The Stolen Girl will reach a wider UK audience this week as the stolen girl makes its broadcast debut in a move tied to an expanded content pact between two large broadcasters. The arrangement brings a pair of Hulu originals to a primetime linear schedule and bundles the five‑part drama into linear and streaming windows for viewers.
How the expanded content pact will work on the linear schedule
The deal deepens an existing streaming pact that trades limited amounts of programming between the partners’ streaming services and extends it onto the ITV1 broadcast network. A pair of Hulu originals will run on the linear channel, and both shows will be presented under the brand 'Disney+ presents a Hulu Original'. The Twisted Tale of Amanda Knox is scheduled to follow later in the year, expanding the partner programming slate beyond the initial titles.
Production, origin and debut timing for The Stolen Girl
Debuting tomorrow, The Stolen Girl is identified in advance listings as a Quay Street Productions and Brightstar drama that originally launched on Disney+ in April last year. The series is a five‑part adaptation of Alex Dahl’s bestselling novel Playdate. Listings place the UK broadcast debut on Wednesday 25th February at 9pm, with the remaining instalments airing weekly.
Plot essentials: a missing child and unraveling secrets
The Stolen Girl follows a mother whose young daughter goes missing after a sleepover, a disappearance that unfolds into a story of deception, family secrets and betrayal. The missing child, nine‑year‑old Lucia, wanted her first sleepover at her new friend Josie’s house. Elisa Blix, who is played by Denise Gough, is a cabin manager on private jets and the child's mother; after meeting Josie’s mother Rebecca and visiting their home she agrees to the overnight stay. When Elisa and her husband Fred Blix, played by Jim Sturgess, return the following day to collect Lucia they find Rebecca, Josie and Lucia have vanished without trace and the house is empty except for a cleaner who tells the devastated couple that "no one lives here. " Fred is described as a criminal barrister whose world is turned upside down by his daughter’s disappearance.
Principal cast and character roles
Leading the cast as Elisa Blix is Denise Gough, known for her stage work and screen roles including the titular part in Paula, the role of Connie Mortensen in Too Close and Dedra Meero in Andor. Jim Sturgess plays Fred Blix; Sturgess’s credits include roles such as Dexter Mayhew in One Day. Ambika Mod appears as Selma Desai, a driven journalist at Dash Voice who, feeling the police aren’t moving fast enough, takes matters into her own hands and leads an independent investigation. Holliday Grainger plays Rebecca, Josie’s mother. Bronagh Waugh appears as DI Shona Sinclair, the lead investigator on Lucia’s case. Xavier Samuel is credited as Marcus Turner, a hotelier and Elisa’s former lover who is currently serving time in prison.
Broadcast, streaming options and audience reaction
The Stolen Girl’s complete boxset is also available to stream on the broadcaster’s streaming platform, while the linear premiere begins on the scheduled date and time. Viewer reaction on online review pages has praised the series’ tension and pacing: one viewer wrote, "Very suspenseful! I thoroughly enjoyed this. If you like any of Harlan Coben's series, you'll enjoy this. " Another labelled it "binge‑worthy, " calling it "Such an exciting watch. Very suspenseful and leaves viewers guessing until the end. " A third fan said, "I saw the entire show in ONE GO. The performances are perfect. Direction flawless... production values excellent. "
Executives frame the expansion as a next step in collaboration
Karl Holmes, General Manager, Disney+ EMEA, described the move as "an exciting next step" in collaboration with the broadcaster and said he was "thrilled that two of our most compelling original series will air on [the linear channel]'s powerful primetime platform, introducing millions more viewers to Hulu Originals on Disney+. " Kevin Lygo, Managing Director of Media and Entertainment at the broadcaster, said he was "delighted to be deepening our relationship" and that bringing the premium original series into the primetime linear schedule "perfectly complements our existing relationship and showcases the strength of the content‑sharing model we established last summer. " The arrangement follows a prior exchange in July last year when each partner added a curated rail of the other’s content to their streaming service, labelled 'Taste of ITVX' and 'Taste of Disney+'.
