TV fans are loving new ITV crime drama Red Eye
Starring Richard Armitage and Jing Lusi
With dramas such as Trigger Point and Mr Bates vs The Post Office, ITV/STV bosses have already released some record-breaking shows in the first four months of the year, and it looks like the latest drama is also going to be a huge success.
Red Eye, starring Richard Armitage and Jing Lusi, launched on ITV/STV on Sunday 21st April, with all six episodes now available to stream on ITVX and the STV Player, and fans have been binging over the last 48 hours.
Bosses have now revealed Red Eye has become ITV/STV's third biggest drama of the year after Mr Bates vs The Post Office and Vera, with overnight figures showing the new drama launched with a peak of 4.1 million viewers.
What is Red Eye about?
The adrenaline-filled drama is set on an overnight flight from London to Beijing and the corridors of power within Whitehall.
According to ITV/STV, Red Eye's official synopsis is: 'After attending a medical conference in Beijing and coming frighteningly close to dying in a car crash, Dr. Matthew Nolan, played by Richard Armitage, arrives home and is immediately arrested at London’s Heathrow Airport. Exhausted and confused, Nolan is accused of the murder of a woman who was in the car he crashed. Despite his protests that he was driving alone, Nolan is set to return to China to face charges.
'DC Hana Li, played by Jing Lusi is the no-nonsense London officer charged with accompanying Nolan back to Beijing. Her resentment for this assignment, and of Nolan himself, is immediate. However, in flight, when a first death occurs, DC Li begins to suspect foul play. Further deaths confirm that Nolan is in danger, and after a call from MI5, Hana finds herself embroiled in an escalating conspiracy.
'Back in London, we follow Hana’s sister, scrappy reporter Jess Li, played by Jemma Moore, who is running her own investigation into Nolan’s extradition and finds herself running for her life from an unknown assassin. And in Thames House, the head of MI5, Madeline Delaney, played by Lesley Sharp, breaks protocol and risks her entire career to not only help Hana and Nolan stay alive but also to expose an international conspiracy that seems to implicate both China and people in her own government.'
Is there a trailer?
There is! The teaser trailer was released at the beginning of April.
Check it out below:
When is it on TV?
The first episode aired on Sunday 21st April at 9pm, with weekly episodes every Sunday night.
How can I watch all episodes?
If you want to binge the series before it's shown on TV, all episodes are now available on ITVX and STV Player.
How many episodes?
There's six episodes in the first series, all one-hour long.
Who is in the cast?
Fool Me Once actor Richard Armitage plays the main role of Dr Matthew Nolan, whilst Gangs of London star Jing Lusi takes on the role of DC Hana Li.
As well as Richard and Jing, there's a long cast for the drama, check out the full cast of Red Eye below:
Jing Lusi as Hana Li
Richard Armitage as Matthew Nolan
Lesley Sharp as Madeline Delaney
Jemma Moore as Jess Li
Dan Li as Toni Zhang
Zoe Telford as Amber Hurst
Lucianne McEvoy as Kate Ward
Thomas Chaanhing as Chén
Jonathan Aris as John Tennant
Xiangyi Tan as Tiffany
Oliver Maltman as Steven Hurst
Robert Gilbert as Simon King
Rick Warden as Chris Peele
Aidan Cheng as WĂş
Cash Holland as Ruth Banks
Kevan MacKenzie as Len Delaney
Mido Hamada as Mike Maxwell
Tai Yin Chan as RĂ©n YĂşnxi
Daphne Cheung as Mrs Ruǎn Yuè
David KS Tse as Minister Aìguó Táng
Ken Bradshaw as Officer Miller
Where was it filmed?
Filming for the series took place in a number of different locations, with the majority of filming actually taking place on a real plane, not a set.
Speaking to Radio Times, main actress Jing Lusi explained: "Before we started filming, we weren't too sure how the space was going to work because it wasn't a purpose-built set where you can remove the walls for cameras, it was a real plane.
"Every time we filmed a scene, someone would have to close the doors manually, so it didn’t look like there was a door open on the side of the plane in mid-air. Thanks to the director, cinematographer and the phenomenal crew, they made true magic out of that small space."
Check out all of the TV crime dramas you can binge right now:
Red Eye (ITVX)
Starring Richard Armitage and Jing Lusi, ITV/STV's adrenaline-filled drama Red Eye is set on an overnight flight from London to Beijing and the corridors of power within Whitehall. Fans were quick to binge the six-part drama when it aired in April 2024.
Kin (BBC iPlayer)
Series one of Irish drama Kin landed on BBC iPlayer in 2023 and viewers have been hooked since! Starring Charlie Cox, Clare Dunne and Emmett J. Scanlan, the drama tells the story of a fictional Dublin family embroiled in gangland war and speaks to the enduring unbreakable bonds of blood and family. Series two is also now available on BBC iPlayer.
Vigil (BBC iPlayer)
It was the BBC's most-watched new drama of 2021, so you don't want to miss out on Vigil, starring Suranne Jones and Martin Compston. Series two was released in December 2023, with all episodes now available to binge.
Love & Death (ITVX and STV Player)
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The Tourist (BBC iPlayer)
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Mr Bates vs The Post Office (ITVX and STV Player)
Arriving in early 2024, Mr Bates vs The Post Office is a four-part series based on the real-life story of postmaster Alan Bates, who led the campaign to expose what is considered the most widespread miscarriage of justice in British history. Toby Jones, Katherine Kelly, Will Mellor, and Julie Hesmondhalgh all appear.
After the Flood (ITVX and STV Player)
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Trigger Point (ITVX and STV Player)
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The Long Shadow (ITVX and STV Player)
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The Capture (BBC iPlayer)
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The Pembrokeshire Murders (ITVX and STV Player)
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Love Rat (Channel 5)
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Red Eye (ITVX and STV Player)
Debuting in April 2024, Richard Armitage and Jing Lusi star in Red Eye, an adrenaline-filled drama which is set on an overnight flight from London to Beijing. All six episodes are available to stream now.
Red Eye is available now on ITVX and STV Player.
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