An Nelson-born actor is set to appear in a UKTV drama that has been described as a “juicy and thrilling family mystery”.

John Simm, a former Edge End High School pupil, has been confirmed in the cast of a six-part drama, that is set to appear on specialist crime drama channel, Alibi, called I, Jack Wright.

John (Grace, Crime), plays a character called Gray Wright, who finds out he has been cut out of a will of a powerful businessman.

The series is written by Chris Lang (Unforgotten, The Thief, His Wife and the Canoe) and produced by Federation Stories.

Trevor Eve (A Discovery of Witches, Waking the Dead) will star as Jack Wright, alongside Daniel Rigby (The Witchfinder, Landscapers) as John Wright and Ruby Ashbourne Serkis (Becoming Elizabeth, The Serpent) as Emily Wright.

Chris said: “I'm so excited to be about to start shooting I, Jack Wright, and delighted to have assembled such an astonishing cast and creative team.

“Wills are extraordinary documents. The preference of one sibling or another, one friend, one wife, one husband, is often seen as an expression of who was loved more (or less) by the very person who can explain the document's true meaning.

“They can be used to punish, to reveal long-buried secrets, to disinherit and destroy, as well as to bring succour, to affirm love, and make dreams come true.

"They are the most potent echo of the ended life, for good and for bad, and the will of Jack Wright is no exception - so buckle up, it's going to be quite a ride!”

The plot follows the life of Jack Wright, a powerful and successful businessman, who leaves his family in disarray when they learn of his suicide.

When the provisions of Jack's final will and testament are made known, his third wife, Sally (Amuka-Bird), and two sons, Gray (Simm) and John, are shocked to discover they have been largely cut out of Jack's enormous fortune.

As DCI Morgan and DC Jones delve further into the case, they realise Jack's cause of death was in fact murder. Their sights turn to the Wright family, where the mother of all feuds is beginning.

As each family member becomes more reckless and desperate in their bid to own a piece of Jack's legacy, dark secrets and resentments are revealed with explosive consequences.

I, Jack Wright is a propulsive, darkly comic, and moving murder mystery family drama with many twists and turns as one family deals with treachery and hidden agendas from all involved.

The UKTV Original series has been commissioned by Hilary Rosen, director of commissioning.

Hilary said: "Chris Lang has delivered a gripping story of the devastating impact that patriarch, Jack Wright's will has on his shocked and feuding family. We are thrilled to be working with the team at Federation Stories on this fresh, modern, and dark family drama. It's an absolute page-turner that's told in a highly original way."

Emma Ayech, channel director at Alibi, said: "Alibi has grown its catalogue of UKTV original dramas over the past few years, along with growing our audience share, and we are always looking to bring bigger and better projects to the channel for our viewers.

"I am incredibly excited to bring the talents of Chris Lang to Alibi, along with a fantastic cast line-up, who will bring this juicy and thrilling family mystery to life. It's a gripping story with expertly written characters that will keep our viewers guessing the whole way through."

I, Jack Wright is the latest UKTV Original drama for Alibi and will air in 2025.