How The Stolen Girl’s ITV Run Changes the UK TV Landscape as Disney and ITV Deepen a Content Swap

The Stolen Girl is arriving on ITV in the UK as part of a stepped-up content sharing agreement with Disney that will put Hulu originals in a primetime broadcast slot. This shift extends availability beyond streaming, potentially exposing the five-part psychological drama and a later-run title, The Twisted Tale of Amanda Knox, to a much larger linear audience and reshaping how UK viewers discover international originals.

What that expansion means for viewers and schedules

Bringing The Stolen Girl to ITV1 under the banner ‘Disney+ presents a Hulu Original’ changes discovery: shows that launched on Disney+ are now being positioned for primetime broadcast. The deal follows an earlier streaming cross-rail approach—Disney+ added a ‘Taste of ITVX’ section and ITVX added a ‘Taste of Disney+’ rail—so this represents a deeper move from curated streaming samples to full linear premieres. The Twisted Tale of Amanda Knox will follow later in the year on the same model.

Event details and production background

The Stolen Girl debuted on Disney+ in April last year and is a Quay Street Productions and Brightstar drama. The series follows a mother whose young daughter goes missing after a sleepover, unspooling a story of deception, family secrets and betrayal. The Twisted Tale of Amanda Knox is described as a drama that explores a real-life murder case and examines media scrutiny, justice and public perception. Both titles will be broadcast on ITV1 and carry the ‘Disney+ presents a Hulu Original’ branding.

Cast and characters: where you’ve seen the leads before

The Stolen Girl’s main cast and background credits cited for their past work include:

• Denise Gough stars as Elisa Blix, a cabin manager on private jets and the mother of Lucia; Gough’s screen credits listed include Dedra Meero in Andor, Connie Mortensen in Too Close, and the titular role in Paula, alongside Olivier Award-winning stage work.
• Jim Sturgess plays Fred Blix, a criminal barrister and Elisa’s husband; his credits include Across the Universe, 21, Dexter Mayhew in the 2011 One Day film, Cloud Atlas, Fifty Dead Men Walking, and voice work in Legend of the Guardians.
• Ambika Mod appears as Selma Desai, a driven journalist at Dash Voice who takes charge of the investigation when Lucia is abducted; Mod’s previous roles include Emma Morley in the 2024 One Day Netflix series, Shruti Acharya in the 2022 drama This Is Going to Hurt, and a role in I Hate Suzie.
• Holliday Grainger plays Rebecca, Josie’s mother; Grainger’s credits include The Capture, Waterloo Road, Mickey 17, Strike, and Cinderella.
• Bronagh Waugh appears as DI Shona Sinclair, the lead investigator; her credits include The Fall, Hollyoaks (2009–2013), Ridley, Viewpoint, Unforgotten, Derry Girls, and Death in Paradise.
• Xavier Samuel is Marcus Turner, a hotelier and Elisa’s former lover who is currently serving time in prison; Samuel’s credits include The Twilight Saga: Eclipse, Elvis, Blonde, The Loved Ones, Adore, Anonymous, Fury, and the TV show The Clearing.

Plot beats, format and where you can watch

Nine-year-old Lucia is eager for a first sleepover at new friend Josie’s house; Elisa Blix hesitates but agrees after meeting Josie’s mother Rebecca and seeing their home. When Elisa and Fred arrive the next day to collect Lucia, Rebecca, Josie and Lucia have vanished and the house is empty—save for a cleaner who tells the devastated couple that “no one lives here. ” The Stolen Girl is a five-part thriller and will begin on ITV from Wednesday 25th February; one report notes an ITV debut tonight at 9pm with remaining instalments airing weekly. The complete boxset is also available to stream on ITVX.

Audience signals, early reactions and quick takeaways

• Viewer reactions cited include comparisons to Harlan Coben’s series and descriptions such as “binge-worthy” and “very suspenseful. ”
• Some fans said they watched the entire series in one sitting and praised performances, direction and production values.
• The move to ITV1 aims to introduce Hulu Originals shown on Disney+ to a broader primetime linear audience, increasing exposure beyond streaming subscribers.
• The Twisted Tale of Amanda Knox will follow later in the year on ITV1 under the same content-branding approach.

Here's the part that matters: this is not just a single-show broadcast—it's a visible step in a content-sharing strategy that pairs streaming-first originals with established primetime slots.

It’s easy to overlook, but the cross-rail streaming arrangements that began last July—Disney+ adding a ‘Taste of ITVX’ rail and ITVX adding a ‘Taste of Disney+’ rail—helped lay the groundwork for moving entire Hulu originals into linear schedules. The real test will be whether the ITV run drives significantly larger linear audiences or simply supplements streaming discovery.

What’s easy to miss is how many separate pieces this announcement ties together: production partners Quay Street Productions and Brightstar, the Disney+/Hulu branding on ITV1, the cast pedigree, and the availability strategy spanning Disney+, ITV1 and ITVX.