The 'Code of Silence' Trailer Introduces a Groundbreaking Detective Story

BritBox has set an official release date for its groundbreaking new crime series, Code of Silence, a six-part drama that follows the story of a deaf woman whose lip-reading skills land her a job with the local police when they need help with a covert operation. More than that, however, the thriller is an important example of inclusion onscreen, providing representation for the deaf, disabled, and neurodiverse communities, both in front of and behind the camera, at a time when many American productions are shying away from diversity initiatives.

Rose Ayling Ellis stars as Allison, a financially struggling worker in the police canteen who finds herself suddenly invited to work with DS Ashleigh Francis (Charlotte Ritchie) to help bring down a local criminal gang. But she soon finds herself caught up in the case in more ways than one, particularly when she finds herself unexpectedly drawn to one of the suspects.

Ayling-Ellis is one of the best-known deaf actors in the U.K., thanks to her years-long run on the popular soap EastEnders in the early 2020s, punctuated by her appearance on Strictly Come Dancing in the 2021 edition of the show. (She was the first-ever deaf contestant on the series, and she won.) Most recently, she played a pivotal guest-starring role in the (excellent) Doctor Who episode "The Well," and seems more than ready to break into the mainstream with this role. Code of Silence did gangbusters ratings during its U.K. run on ITV, and we can only cross our fingers it finds a similar audience here in the States.