This Hit Canadian TV Series Is Coming To ITV This Weekend

British-American star Minnie Driver has reentered the TV scene in recent years, with roles on both sides of the Atlantic. Think Starstruck (2021–23), The Witcher: Blood Origin (2022), The Serpent Queen (2024), Emily in Paris (2025) and Run Away (2026). But she takes on the role of a mob boss in The Borderline, a Canadian crime drama that divided viewers when it premiered in February of this year, in the primetime slot right after the Super Bowl.

As Driver herself put it on Instagram, she stars as ‘a wry, evil villain’. ‘Turns out I LOVE playing villains… I’m hoping it’s my new era,’ she added.

 

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Originally broadcast on Crave in Canada (the channel behind smash-hit series Heated Rivalry, no less), here in the UK, there hasn’t been a way to watch the gripping six-part mystery – until now. Renamed The Murder Line, the series has been snapped up by ITV and is set to launch this weekend. The acquisition follows another educated purchase, that of Starz drama The Hunting Wives which landed on ITVX earlier this year.

Here’s everything you need to know about The Murder Line before you tune in.

The Murder Line: Plot, Cast, Release Date & More

Here in the UK, we love a gritty British crime drama. Think Happy Valley (2014–23), Luther (2010–19) and the soon-to-return Line of Duty (2012–). And we’re hoping The Murder Line will scratch the itch – because Minnie Driver stars as the main antagonist, British crime boss May Ferguson.

She lurks behind the main plot of The Murder Line, which centres on small-town Canadian cop Henry Roland (Stephen Amell) who uncovers evidence linking his childhood best friend Tommy Hawley (Hamza Haq) to a criminal case.

An unconventional cop, Henry’s instinctual urge is not to out his friend for his crimes to protect him. But as he delves deeper into Tommy’s double life, Henry discovers the knotty, sinister network his friend has fallen into. It’s an international drug smuggling operation brimming with backstapping criminals – and May Ferguson (Driver) is the lynchpin. 

Meanwhile Henry’s crime fighting colleagues are increasingly suspicious – and more innocent civilians than ever need his help. Watch the trailer below for a taste of the action.

Penned by Graeme Stewart and set in the Canadian province of Ontario, it mixes small-town politics with international crime intrigue. The main setting is Henry and Tommy’s small riverside town in the Thousand Islands region of Ontario on the US border, which gives its name to the dressing. 

And it’s this borderland idea behind the series’ original title, The Borderline. As Erica Ross (Tamara Podemski) puts it in the trailer, this is ‘the largest undefended border on the planet’.

Where Was It Filmed?

The Murder Line was filmed entirely on location in Ontario, including the province’s capital Toronto, the small town of Gananoque and the Thousand Islands region to boot.

 

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The Cast

For UK viewers, Driver will probably be the most familiar face. That said, Code 8 (2019) fans might recognise Stephen Amell, who leads the series as Henry Roland. 

They are joined by Hamza Haq as Tommy Hawley to complete the leading trio; Haq is best known for his leading role in Canadian medical drama Transplant (2020–24).

The full cast we know so far is as follows:

• Stephen Amell as Henry Roland
• Hamza Haq as Tommy Hawley
• Minnie Driver as May Ferguson
• Tamara Podemski as Erica Ross
• Thomas Craig as Gaz
• Katia Edith Wood as Ruby
• Kate Corbett as Liv
• Anna Douglas as Julie Roland
• Jeremy Watson as Miles
• Christopher Heyerdahl as Chaz
• Natalie Liconti as Bo
• Ashton Cressman as Adam
• Jorja Cadenc as Stacey
• Gage Arbuthnot as Young Henry
• Jason Weinberg as Walt
• Qasim Khan as Silas
• Dylan Taylor as Wade

UK Release Date

All six episodes of The Murder Line (known as The Borderline in Canada) are expected to land on ITVX on Sunday 19 April 2026 as part of the streaming service’s ‘Drama Drop Sundays’. 

However, the series will premiere with a double bill the night before on ITV1.

Episode Schedule

• Episode 1: 10pm, Saturday 18 April 2026
• Episode 2: 11.10pm, Saturday 18 April 2026
• Episode 3: 10.15pm, Sunday 19 April 2026
• Episode 4: 11pm, Monday 20 April 2026
• Episode 5: 11.15pm, Tuesday 21 April 2026
• Episode 6: Midnight, Wednesday 22/Thursday 23 April 2026

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