When most people think of the A12 from London to Suffolk, they picture roadworks and service stations. But for writer Anthony Horowitz, the drab dual carriageway became the perfect stage for something far more compelling: a multi-layered drama where fate, crime, and past sins slam together—literally

Enter Collision, ITV1’s bold new five-night thriller, headlined by Primeval and Shetland star Douglas Henshall. Premiering at 9:00 p.m., the series ambitiously mirrors the tone and scheduling of the BBC’s recent prestige hits (Occupation, Criminal Justice), and aims to set a new bar for ITV’s event television.

“It’s not about the crash,” says Henshall, who plays the haunted Detective Inspector John Tolin, recently returned from leave under mysterious circumstances. “It’s about what led up to it. What are the consequences for everyone involved? For those whose job it is to investigate the aftermath?”

The crash in question is a catastrophic multi-car pile-up on the A12. But beneath the wreckage, viewers will find a trove of secrets: a white van hiding contraband, a teacher mysteriously handing over a DVD to a stranger, and a secretary funneling confidential files. Each character carries a burden—and Collision dares to unearth them all.

A Mystery with Human Teeth

Told through nonlinear flashbacks, Collision takes a cue from American dramas like Lost, Damages, and Crash, unraveling the characters’ lives like a detective’s case file. And Henshall’s DI Tolin, still reeling from whatever dark cloud forced him off duty, is both observer and participant in this slow-burning unraveling.

“It challenges the audience to pay attention,” Henshall says. “It respects the viewer. It doesn’t spoon-feed.”

The role is a pivot for the actor, better known at the time for playing monster-hunting scientist Nick Cutter in ITV’s sci-fi hit Primeval. But don’t expect a heroic swagger here. As Tolin, Henshall brings a sense of quiet damage, of a man unmoored by something unseen.

“The eyes do a lot of the talking,” a critic recently noted—and they’re not wrong. Henshall’s piercing, almost alien gaze lends itself perfectly to a character who seems to see through the crash, the lies, and even himself.

Leaving the Monsters Behind

Collision may also mark a turning point for Henshall professionally. After multiple seasons in Primeval, he’s ready for a different challenge—and maybe a different kind of role altogether.

“There are only so many ways you can look surprised when a dinosaur shows up,” he says with a grin. “A kid once told me all my monster faces were the same. And he was right. That made me think.”

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Between his turn as Satan in The Last Days of Judas Iscariot and now a tormented investigator, Henshall seems to be chasing something more grounded—and more unsettling.