'Code of Silence's Creator on the Time Being Right for a Deaf Crime Show Lead

The latest addition to BritBox’s crime drama lineup, the big-hearted thriller Code of Silence, has become one of the streaming service's biggest series to date. It follows Alison, played by Rose Ayling-Ellis (Ludwig), a young deaf woman who gets swept up in a dangerous investigation because she’s been tapped by detectives to work as a lipreader. Though the stakes are high, the show focuses on Rose’s personal life and her experiences as a deaf woman in a hearing world.

As outlandish as a lipreading citizen detective might seem, series creator Catherine Moulton (who also wrote episodes of PBS's Baptiste) was inspired to write the show from her own experience with deafness and lipreading. Prior to creating Code of Silence, Moulton was well-versed in the crime drama and thriller genres. She wrote and executive-produced the recent Hulu miniseries The Stolen Girl, as well as contributing writing credits to thrillers such as Apple TV+'s Hijack and Then You Run (currently tucked away for free on Tubi).

Code of Silence fits neatly into all the twists and turns of a typical crime drama, but Moulton and the character of Alison bring a new perspective to the genre. The show explores the limitations that society puts on deaf and disabled people, and the lengths that Alison will go to in order to prove herself capable.