The Hunt for Raoul Moat: ITV release date, trailer, and cast with Lee Ingleby, Vineeta Rishi, and Matt Stokoe

The Hunt for Raoul Moat, a new true crime drama, is coming to ITV this April. The series, which stars Lee Ingleby and Vineeta Rishi, dramatises the investigation into and pursuit of Raoul Moat after he murdered three people in 2010. 

Written by Kevin Sampson (Anne), The Hunt for Raoul Moat aims to tell the story from the perspective of the Moat’s victims and the police officers involved in the investigation, as well as a local journalist involved in reporting on the events as they happened. 

Here’s everything you need to know about The Hunt for Raoul Moat before it arrives on ITV1.

What is The Hunt for Raoul Moat about?

According to the official ITV synopsis, “The Hunt For Raoul Moat shines a light on the human tragedies that lay behind Britain’s biggest manhunt, told through the eyes of those who sought to bring a violent killer to justice.”

“The drama focuses on the innocent victims of Moat’s crimes, the police officers who put themselves in the firing line in their quest to apprehend Moat, and the local journalist who sought to tell Moat’s real story in a landscape of sensationalist reporting and social media provocation.”

Is it based on a true story?

Yes, it is. In July 2010, Raoul Moat was released from Durham prison; he subsequently tracked down a former partner and, enraged to find she’d started a new relationship, killed them both. After shooting a police officer, Moat went on the run – the subsequent manhunt was one of the biggest in UK history, and the first to take place under the scrutiny of a 24 hour news cycle and social media. 

Who stars in The Hunt for Raoul Moat?

Lee Ingleby plays Neil Adamson, a senior Northumbria Police Officer leading the investigation into Moat. Ingleby is perhaps best known for starring in The A Word, where he plays Max’s father Paul, but you might also recognise him from appearances in Crossfire, Luther, and Criminal: UK.

Matt Stokoe plays Raoul Moat. Stokoe has previously appeared in Cursed, Jamestown, and Bodyguard; you might also recognise him from the horror film Rose: A Love Story, which he wrote and starred in with his partner Sophie Rundle. 

They’re joined by Sonya Cassidy (The Man Who Fell to Earth, The Last Kingdom, Lodge 49) as local journalist Diane Barnwell, Vineeta Rishi (Vera, Collateral, Three Girls) as Nisha Roberts, Sally Messham (Artemis Fowl, Doc Martin, Our Ladies) as Samantha Stobbart, and Josef Davis (Young Wallander, Chernobyl, Silent Witness) as Christopher Brown.

Who writes and directs the series?

Kevin Sampson, best known for writing last year’s Hillsborough drama Anne, scripted all three episodes of The Hunt for Raoul Moat. 

It was directed by Gareth Bryn, who has previously worked on the ITV crime drama Karen Pirie, BBC One thriller Line of Duty, and Sally Wainwright’s family drama Last Tango in Halifax.

Is there a trailer?

Yes, there is! You can watch it right here.

When and how can I watch it?

The Hunt for Raoul Moat begins on ITV1 at 9pm on Sunday 16 April. The remaining episodes will air at the same time each night thereafter, followed by a documentary about Moat in the same timeslot on Wednesday evening.

You’ll also be able to watch the full series online on ITVX from the evening of Sunday 16 April if you can’t wait till the next day.

How many episodes are there?

The Hunt for Raoul Moat is a three-part drama, with each episode running to around 50 minutes.

Where was The Hunt for Raoul Moat filmed?

The Hunt for Raoul Moat was filmed on location in the North East of England. According to producer Jake Lushington in comments made in the series press pack, “aside from establishing shots of Newcastle city centre, we filmed in Yorkshire. The housing estate that doubles for Birtley was just outside Bradford. Our director Gareth had extensively recced every real location. But we did not want to film in or near the real locations. That included not filming in Rothbury.”

Are Paul Gascoigne or Ray Mears featured?

During the search for Raoul Moat, the attention paid to the case meant that many members of the public – and some higher-profile figures, like Paul Gascoigne and Ray Mears – started to get involved. Neither, however, are featured in The Hunt for Raoul Moat.

Producer Jake Lushington explained that “there is one line in the drama about Paul Gascoigne turning up in Rothbury. That was such a small and irrelevant incident. We mention Gazza in one line because we’re not erasing it from history. But it certainly isn’t the concern of our story at all.”

“Ray Mears was involved in helping the police during the manhunt. But, again, it’s certainly not the most interesting bit of the story from our point of view. So we’ve name checked them as people who were involved but we didn’t see a huge relevance in either of them.”

Why should I watch it?

It’s one to watch if you’re a true crime afficionado, or if you’ve enjoyed previous performances from Lee Ingleby in similar crime dramas.