Douglas Henshall, Kate Ashfield, Paul McGann and Phil Davis lead a prestigious cast in Collision – a compelling new drama serial, created by Anthony Horowitz, for ITV1.

Filming has just begun on the five-part serial made by Greenlit Rights, which tells the story of a major road accident and a group of people who have never met, but who all share one single defining moment that will change their lives.

Amid the tangle of twisted metal and emotional turmoil wrought by the tragedy of a crash of this scale, are the stories of the victims, and the impact of the accident on their families, friends and colleagues.

As the terrible task of investigating the cause of the carnage begins, a series of revelations emerge: from Government cover-ups and smuggling, to disturbing secrets and murder.

Douglas Henshall (Primeval, French Film) and Kate Ashfield (The Children, The Diary of Anne Frank) play the senior police officers in charge of the investigations whose complicated personal lives threaten to collide with the grim job they face.

Paul McGann (True Dare Kiss, Withnail and I) stars as millionaire property dealer Richard Reeves. Dean Lennox Kelly (Shameless, The Invisibles) and his brother Craig Kelly (Hotel Babylon, Queer as Folk) team up for the first time to play brothers Danny and Jeffrey Rampton, whose business dealings are about to be exposed as a result of the crash. Zoe Telford (The Palace, Marple: The Sittaford Mystery) is Jeffrey’s wife Sandra.

Claire Rushbrook (Mutual Friends, Whitechapel) plays Karen Donnelly who survives the crash, but has a secret which puts her life in jeopardy again. Phil Davis (Bleak House, Whitechapel) plays Brian Edwards who escapes the carnage which kills his mother in law. His wife Christine, played by Jan Francis (U Be Dead, New Tricks) is devastated by the death of her mother, and confused by her husband’s reaction to the police questions.

David Bamber (Rome, Daniel Deronda) plays Sidney Norris, a piano teacher whose guilty secrets are uncovered in the investigations.

Collision is created by acclaimed author and screen writer Anthony Horowitz (Foyle’s War) and written by him and Michael A. Walker (Does God Play Football). It is directed by Marc Evans (My Little Eye, Snow Cake), marking his first return to TV direction in five years.

Collision is Peter Fincham’s first new independent drama commission, with Director of Drama Laura Mackie, since joining ITV as director of television.

Peter Fincham says: “This is a high octane event drama that combines creative and original thinking with mass appeal. It promises to be both provocative and engaging”

Jill Green, managing director of Greenlit Rights, says: “Collision is exactly the sort of high concept, primetime production Greenlit is known for. The universal theme and scale of this serial will make it much talked about. We are delighted ITV and Portman have chosen to back such an ambitious drama project.”