Groundbreaking Modern British Drama ‘Code of Silence’ Sets U.S. Release Date With Intense First Trailer [Exclusive]

From time to time, a series of television will arrive ready to break novel ground both on and off-screen. Earlier this year, Adolescence took Netflix by storm, becoming one of the most widely acclaimed British series of the decade. Now, just a few months later, there’s another British crime thriller ready to blow away audiences, as well as marking a groundbreaking milestone in the on-screen representation of Deafness. That series is Code of Silence, the tale of a Deaf woman’s chance to work alongside the police as a lip-reader, only for a simmering romance to soon get in the way.

Starring Doctor Who alum Rose Ayling-Ellis and Ghosts‘ Charlotte Ritchie, the series has already wowed UK audiences, earning universal praise on its way to the coveted perfect 100% rating on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes. Alongside Collider’s exclusive reveal of the US trailer, which you can watch in full below, we can also exclusively reveal that the series will debut in the US on BritBox on July 24, 2025. Ahead of the show’s release, I had the privilege to speak to both Catherine Moulton, the series’ creator, who herself is partially hearing-impaired, and star Ayling-Ellis. After discussing what life was like with a hearing impairment from a juvenile age, Moulton described where the inspiration for the series came from, saying:

“It wasn’t until much later when I had lip-reading lessons that I started to understand exactly how much work there is and the theory behind it. And that made me realize that you’re not just looking at lips, you’re looking at body language, you’re looking at facial expressions, and also all the other things that you know about a person, like the context of the conversation. You’re piecing it together like a jigsaw, and it occurred to me that lip readers are like detectives, and it would make a brilliant idea for a show.”

Ayling-Ellis’ character, Allison, is not a detective; instead, fighting for her chance to work alongside them whilst her financially-fraught home comes under the threat of eviction. “I wanted to show some of the challenges of her life, so it kind of made sense that she wasn’t a police officer, but she would end up working with the police,” Moulton noted. “I don’t want a deaf character to just be deaf,” Ayling-Ellis added. “There’s so much more. Deaf people have personalities; deaf people have hobbies; they’ve got lives; they’ve got struggles; they make mistakes. That’s what makes us human, not just being deaf.“

‘Code of Silence’ Is Championing Change

Code of Silence is both a gripping thriller and a sign that television is still moving in the right direction. On set, Code of Silence was one of the uncommon examples of television catering to all needs, something that will hopefully become more common. As Ayling-Ellis mentioned in my interview with her, “no one has done it before really. It’s not traditionally done. Everyone has their routine of how they make things, but it’s not designed with disabled people in mind. Now we can show that it’s really simple, small changes can make such a big difference, and it not only benefits disabled people it benefits everybody.” Sure, representation both on and off-screen is changing, but there’s still so much more to do. “I think things are changing,” Moulton said, adding, “although obviously changing really slowly and from such a low base that it can feel frustrating.”

Code of Silence blends a thoughtful, novel premise with dedicated, experienced minds and groundbreaking visual ideas to craft a show that not only acts as a thoroughly entertaining thriller but also a beacon of hope that the future holds better representation in the film and television world. “Even though it’s a show about a character with a disability, and she’s marginalized in some ways,” Moulton added, “it has a very broad reach. We wanted it to be as entertaining and as thrilling a thriller as you would see anywhere on TV.“

Code of Silence debuts on BritBox on July 24, 2025. Make sure to stay tuned to Collider for more updates and exclusive stories on the best television. You can watch both versions of the trailer above and below:

Code of Silence

Release Date

May 18, 2025

Cast

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  Rose Ayling-Ellis

  Alison Woods

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  Charlotte Ritchie

  DS Ashleigh Francis

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  Andrew Buchan

  DI James Marsh