DI RAY: DETECTIVE DRAMA WON'T RETURN FOR THIRD SERIES, ITV CONFIRMS

 EXCLUSIVE

Birmingham-set detective drama DI Ray will not be returning for a third series on ITV, TV Zone can reveal.

An ITV spokesperson told TV Zone: "We're really proud of what DI Ray achieved, but sadly the viewing figures for series two didn't meet with ITV's expectations. It's always a very difficult decision not to recommission a drama and in this case DI Ray really brought a fresh perspective to the crime genre. We'd like to thank Parminder Nagra, Maya Sondhi and the team at HTM Television for two brilliant series."

DI Ray introduces us to Leicester-born Rachita Ray, played by Parminder Nagra, a police officer who takes on a case that forces her to confront a lifelong personal conflict between her British identity and her South Asian heritage.

Rachita achieves the promotion she’s been waiting for when she’s asked to join a homicide investigation. However, on her first day she’s told the murder to which she’s been assigned is a ‘Culturally Specific Homicide.’ Rachita’s heart sinks – she suspects she’s a ‘token appointment’, chosen for her ethnicity rather than her ability. 

Never one to shy away from a challenge, Rachita sticks to the case, determined to both find the killer and call out the obvious biases her colleagues are bringing to the investigation. And it’s far from easy. The case isn’t a run-of-the-mill murder; it involves delving deep into the dangerous world of organised crime. 

Rachita is more than up for the task, but what she didn’t count on is what this case stirs up inside her; the realisation that she’s been burying a personal identity crisis her whole life. Truth is, she's had to work twice as hard as everyone else.  It's not that she doesn't want to be Indian, it’s just that it would have been easier if she were white.

DI Ray is available now on ITVX.