Stonehouse

Clearwood Films and Snowed-In Productions for ITV and Britbox

A three-part drama, inspired by the extraordinary rise and fall of MP John Stonehouse. As a high-flying member of Harold Wilson’s 1970s Labour government and a seemingly devoted family man, Stonehouse’s perfect life spirals out of control.

It turns out that while Stonehouse has been climbing the political ladder, he’s also been forging secret relationships that will threaten him personally and professionally.

As the story unfolds, suspicion from his wife Barbara and the media grows. Stonehouse embarks on an outlandish escape plan that will lead him to Miami, Melbourne and eventually - hand-in-hand with his secretary Sheila Buckley - to the dock of London’s most famous criminal court.

All this, while Prime Minister Wilson’s slender majority hangs in the balance.

It’s a tale, inspired by sensational true events, that explores the price of ambition, the pressures of politics and how attitudes towards mental health have changed in the last 50 years.

Ratings

• Delivered a consolidated audience of over 4m viewers
• Outperformed ITV1’s slot average by +25% with an average 19.5% share for all individuals 4+ and 50% higher than the channel’s usual figures for ABC1 with a 21.9% share
• Maintaining this success across other key demographics, also outperformed ITV1’s slot average for Adults 55+ (+36%), ABC1 Adults (+50%), Housewives (+22%), Men (+35%) and Women (+20%) Adults 35-54 (+5%)
• The finale was the strongest episode, even taking the number one spot on the global demo. Indeed, the episode drew a 3.9M consolidated audience for a 21.4% share on individuals 4+, 37% above the slot and 11% higher than the premiere. It also boosted ITV1’s usual performances by 68%
• ITVX released the programme simultaneously, increasing the numbers even further