The Confessions of Frannie Langton: ITVX release date, trailer, and cast with Karla-Simone Spence

The Confessions of Frannie Langton, a new adaptation of Sara Collins’ novel of the same name, is coming to ITVX on Thursday 8 December.

The series, which stars Karla-Simone Spence and Sophie Cookson, follows a woman born into slavery and struggling to clear her name after being accused of a crime she didn’t commit.

Here’s everything you need to know about The Confessions of Frannie Langton.

What’s it about?

The Confessions of Frannie Langton is a period drama, set in Georgian London, that doubles as a murder mystery – it charts the story of a young woman born into slavery and accused of a murder, fighting to tell her own story for the first time in her life.

The official ITVX synopsis for The Confessions of Frannie Langton explains that the series “follows Frannie’s journey from a Jamaican plantation to the grand Mayfair mansion of celebrated scientist George Benham and his exquisitely beautiful wife, Madame Marguerite Benham. In a misguided and monstrous gesture Frannie is gifted to Benham by the man who owns her, John Langton, and she is employed as a maid in the household much to her chagrin.”

“As the plot twists and turns, events take a fateful turn as the Benhams are found murdered in their beds, with Frannie lying next to Marguerite. Frannie is accused of murder but swears that she couldn’t possibly have killed her mistress because she was devoted to her. Dragged away to prison, Frannie attempts to piece together the events of that night. She is deep into a laudanum addiction and unclear about precisely what happened…”

In the latest episode of our Screen Babble podcast, we broke down everything you need to know about ITVX - you can listen to it on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and more. You can read our review of The Confessions of Frannie Langton right here.

Is it based on a book?

Yes, it is! The four-part drama is an adaptation of Sara Collins’ 2019 novel of the same name.

Who stars in The Confessions of Frannie Langton?

Karla-Simone Spence plays Frannie Langton, the novel’s protagonist. Spence is best known for appearing in the 2019 film Blue Story, and prior to that the 2018 film Nine Nights; she also appeared in a supporting role in the BBC One drama Gold Digger. Frannie Langton is Spence’s first leading television role.

Sophie Cookson plays Madame Marguerite Benham, Frannie’s owner who dies mysteriously. Cookson is best known for playing Christine Keeler in the 2019 BBC One drama The Trial of Christine Keeler, with Frannie Langton reuniting her with the director and producer of the earlier drama. You might also recognise her from the Kingsman films, Infinite, or Moonfleet.

Patrick Martins plays Laddie Lightning, a friend of Frannie’s. Martins is an experienced theatre actor, having appeared in productions of An Octoroon, Gilgamesh, and The Wake amongst others; on television, he’s starred in ITV drama Redemption and RTE sketch show Blasts from the Past.

They’re joined by Stephen Campbell Moore (War of The Worlds, The One) as George Benham, Steven Mackintosh (Rocketman, Wanderlust) as John Langton, James Alexandrou (Eastenders) as Constable Meek, and Amarah-Jae St. Aubyn (Small Axe) as Sal amongst others.

Who writes and directs?

Sara Collins adapts her own novel, writing all four episodes of The Confessions of Frannie Langton. To date, Frannie Langton is Collins’ first and only novel, having been developing the series since 2020; she’s previously won prizes for literary criticism written prior to 2019.

All four episodes were directed by Andrea Harkin, who previously directed The Trial of Christine Keeler, Come Home, and Clique. The series was filmed in Yorkshire.

Is there a trailer?

Not quite yet - but you can watch the trailer for ITVX generally to see a few clips of The Confessions of Frannie Langton right here.

When and how can I watch it?

All 4 episodes of The Confessions of Frannie Langton will be available to stream as a boxset on ITVX from launch.

ITVX is a new free streaming platform from ITVX, replacing ITV Hub – it’s a little bit like All4. Eventually, every ITVX show will arrive on ITV1 proper.

How many episodes are there?

There are set to be four episodes of The Confessions of Frannie Langton, each of which will be around an hour long.

What else is available on ITVX?

ITVX is launching with four new shows immediately: espionage drama A Spy Among Friends, novel adaptation The Confessions of Frannie Langton, YA drama Tell Me Everything, and a feature-length finale to historical comedy Plebs.

In the coming weeks, there are set to be new drama premiers every week, with true crime drama Litvinenko, Vicky McClure thriller Without Sin, and the Succession-esque Riches all arriving across December. ITVX is also set to have a host of ITV archive content, as well as offering exclusive access to hit US shows.

Why should I watch The Confessions of Frannie Langton?

It’s one to watch if you enjoyed Collins’ original novel, and you’re like to see it brought to life by a cast of talented actors.