Trigger Point: ITV series cast, filming locations and episode guide

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Clearly not put off by extreme occupational hazards, Vicky McClure is swapping her Line of Duty job in anti-corruption for one in counterterrorism, in the new ITV thriller Trigger Point.

In the high-octane six-part series, McClure and Adrian Lester (Undercover, Riviera) star as expos (ex-military bomb disposal operatives) Lana Washington and Joel Nutkins, who became close friends after serving together in Afghanistan.

The show, which airs at 9pm on Sunday nights on ITV from 23 January, shows how officers risk their lives daily on “the long walk” towards danger.

When a terrorist campaign threatens London over the summer, Lana and Joel are at the forefront of urgent efforts to find out who is behind the bombings before fatalities escalate.

The rest of the cast is made up by familiar faces from the world of British drama, such as Mark Stanley (The Girl Before) as DI Thom Youngblood, Warren Brown (Luther) as Karl Maguire, Kerry Godliman (After Life) as Sonya Reeves, Cal MacAninch (Des) as Lee Robins SCO19, Manjinder Virk (Midsomer Murders) as Samira Desai SO15 and Ralph Ineson (The Capture) as Commander Bregman.

McClure’s character Lana was written with her in mind by first-time screenwriter Daniel Brierley, who offered it to her without an audition.

Line of Duty creator Jed Mercurio serves as executive producer and he mentored Brierley as part of a TV bursary scheme when the show was first conceived.

McClure recently insisted that Line of Duty and Trigger Point are very different, telling The Guardian: “Oh my God, Lana and Kate are worlds apart. But I’d imagine they’d have a great time in the pub. In Line of Duty, I kind of dip my toe into my personal life, but we don’t tend to go down that road too much with Kate.

“So it was lovely: we really get to see Lana outside the expo world. And I’m always up for anything that’s emotionally challenging.”

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The series was shot in London, where it is set. “Shooting on location in London was challenging, as were the special effects required,” Mercurio told ITV.

“Getting access to film in London is always hard because it’s a big bustling city, and then on top of that, when we say we want to blow things up there’s an incredible amount of paperwork.”

Speaking about filming in the city, Lester added: “It’s rare to get the chance to shoot in London now. All of episode one was shot on an estate in north London.

“Lots of the residents who live there were paid by the company to help and take part in the scenes. It’s a huge amount of disruption for them but they were very good about it.”

Acknowledging how sensitive the subject matter of the show is, writer Brierley said: “Of course, we knew that we were dealing with subjects that are real and raw, and it was important to make sure we gave enough balance and a fair portrayal of all sides.

“The series is set in London during a terrorist campaign and a hotly contested election, so we really had to make sure it felt real while also being sensitive. There was a duty to be honest and to show things how they really are.”

He added: “I’ve been in London for 20 years now and I remember 7/7, London Bridge and Parson’s Green, so you tap into those tensions, the memories of the first time getting back on the tube, or seeing the 38 bus in pieces. There’s so many things happening around the world all the time and for writers we have to tap into it.”

Trigger Point airs at 9pm on Sunday nights on ITV.