Playing Nice

Playing Nice is a British four-part television series for ITV, from StudioCanal. It is set in Cornwall and based on the book of the same name by J. P. Delaney. James Norton stars and executive-produces through his production company Rabbit Track Pictures. Kate Hewitt directs from a script adaptation from Grace Ofori-Attah.

Playing Nice
Based on	Playing Nice by JP Delaney
Screenplay by	Grace Ofori-Attah
Directed by	Kate Hewitt
Starring	James Norton Niamh Algar James McArdle Jessica Brown Findlay
Country of origin	United Kingdom
Original language	English
No. of series	1
No. of episodes	4
Production
Executive producers	Kitty Kaletsky James Norton Kate Crowe Joe Naftalin Isobel Carter Grace Ofori-Attah JP Delaney
Producer	Nick Pitt
Running time	50 minutes
Production companies	StudioCanal Rabbit Track Pictures
Original release
Network	ITV
Release	5 January (2025-01-05) – 13 January 2025 (2025-01-13)

Synopsis

When two couples discover their toddler sons were switched at birth, they struggle with the choice whether to keep the sons they have raised, or to reclaim their biological child.^[1]

Cast

• James Norton as Pete Riley
• Niamh Algar as Maddie Wilson
• James McArdle as Miles Lambert
• Jessica Brown Findlay as Lucy Lambert

Production

Grace Ofori-Attah adapts the book Playing Nice by JP Delaney. StudioCanal and Rabbit Track Pictures produce. James Norton stars and is also an executive producer.^[2][3][4]

Filming

The production got underway in Cornwall in November 2023.^[5] Filming locations included St Ives and Padstow, as well as Mawgan Porth beach and Park Head, Cornwall and lasted into early 2024.^[6]

Broadcast

The series was broadcast on ITV and its accompanying streaming / catch up service ITVX beginning on 5 January 2025.^[7][8]

Reception

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 71% of 7 critics' reviews are positive. ^[9]

Anita Singh, for The Telegraph, reviewed the series positively, claiming a "child-swap thriller doesn’t need to be believable to be addictive".^[10] Writing for Digital Spy, Janet A Leigh rated the series 5 stars, describing it as “the kind of show that will plague your mind in an infuriating, all-consuming, perfectly addictive way.”^[11] However, Rachel Aroesti, writing for The Guardian, labelled the show "mind-bendingly bad" conclusively describing it as "the worst of modern television: a witless mystery overly reliant on insidious ambience and really nice houses".^[12]