Graham Norton’s Gritty Crime Novel Turned Into a 100% RT Miniseries You Can Finish in One Weekend

Published Jul 26, 2026, 6:51 AM EDT Giovana Gelhoren is a High-Trending Topics Writer at Collider, covering the most-talked-about stars, movies, and TV shows. Before joining Collider, she was a Digital News Writer at People Magazine and served as Associate Editor at SheKnows, where she honed her expertise in celebrity coverage and entertainment journalism. A proud Latina from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Giovana graduated from Northwestern University with a degree in Journalism and International Studies. She has interviewed countless celebrities, including Anne Hathaway, Halle Berry, Pamela Anderson, Jamie Lee Curtis, and Brenda Song, and is known for her encyclopedic knowledge of film, TV, and pop culture. Since June 2, 2007, Graham Norton has been effortlessly entertaining viewers on his long-running talk show, The Graham Norton Show. But while he's certainly shown his talent for comedy, improv, and interviewing as a talk-show host, fans of Norton might've been surprised when he wowed them with a whole new skill with his debut novel, Holding. After all, not only was the 2016 book not a comedy, but it was mysterious crime fiction instead. Despite the surprise, the novel was well-received by the public, earning a solid 3.8/5 on Goodreads. "The more I read of the book, the more involved I got in the story," writes one review. And, six years after the book was released, Norton's story made it to the small screen in the four-episode miniseries by the same name on ITV. The series, which has long been praised by critics, is a treat for crime show fans, as it delivers a detective series with an authentic, Irish small-town twist. What Is 'Holding' About? Set in the quiet small town of West Cork, Ireland, Holding kicks off when local builders find human remains when they're demolishing a farmhouse. What then follows is a police investigation led by the local garda, PJ (Conleth Hill), focusing on the final days of Tommy Burke's (Felix Brown) life, and everyone who could be connected to his mysterious death. Among them are Evelyn Ross (Charlene McKenna), who had a troubled romance with Tommy decades earlier, Abigail Ross (Helen Behan), Evelyn's older sister who has her own connection with Tommy and Kitty Harrington (Olwen Fouéré), an enigmatic woman whose connection to Tommy and the village's past slowly comes into focus as the series goes on. Also important to the story is PJ himself, who had accepted the garda position to retreat from life when he suddenly finds himself in a mind-bending mystery alongside a much younger, brasher detective (Clinton Liberty), who is up from Dublin to investigate. He's also aided by his close friend and confidante, Bríd Riordan (Siobhán McSweeney), who serves as the series' comic relief and PJ's necessary emotional support. The four-episode series also stars Brenda Fricker, Pauline McLynn, Demi Isaac Oviawe, Gary Shelford, Sky Yang, and more. 'Holding' Is a Critics' Darling Image via ITV Since the series' release on March 14, 2022, the miniseries has been beloved by critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, the series boasts a flawless 100% score from critics, with a more disappointing 78% in the Popcornmeter. "It has genuine charm, which is to say it is suffused with wit, warmth and compassion," writes one review. "Perhaps because it is a drama centered on people who are middle-aged and above – the mistakes they have made, the things they have hidden over a lifetime and the warping that has happened around them – it feels real and has an undertow of melancholy, if not outright sadness." "It would be very easy to make this a dramedy in which many of these people were simple figures of fun, but Dominic Treadwell-Collins and Karen Cogan, who share writing duties, manage to convey real humanity," wrotes another review. Therefore, while Graham Norton has already been a beloved TV personality and host for many years now, his venture into storytelling with Holding has proven to be quite successful. With a beloved novel and a 100% RT miniseries inspired by it, Norton was behind another fan-favorite project, this time telling a fictional story with his signature voice, comedic edge, and natural charm. It's a must-watch for Norton and crime fans alike. Release Date 2022 - 2022-00-00 Network ITV1 Directors Kathy Burke Cast Conleth Hill as Sergeant PJ Collins Pauline McLynn as Eileen O'Driscoll Norma Sheahan as DS Norma Sheahan Helen Behan as Abigail Ross Creator(s) Dominic Treadwell-Collins