Musical Tension and Domestic Turmoil: James Righton Scores ITV’s High-Stakes Drama ‘Adultery’

The landscape of British television is set to shift tonight as ITV premieres its latest provocative drama, Adultery. Centered on the volatile intersection of parental responsibility and forbidden desire, the six-part series promises to be one of the year’s most discussed projects. Beyond its star-studded cast and the sharp, gritty pen of creator Danny Brocklehurst, the show’s emotional resonance is anchored by an atmospheric score composed by James Righton, the musician and songwriter best known for his foundational role in the new rave movement with the band Klaxons.

As the series makes its debut, audiences are bracing for a narrative that explores the fragility of suburban life when subjected to the heat of an illicit affair. With a production team boasting credits from Westworld to The Serpent, Adultery is positioned as a prestige addition to ITV’s autumn slate.

Main Facts: The Anatomy of a Scandal

Adultery follows two married parents whose lives collide in the most devastating of ways. The premise is a masterful exercise in tension: after their teenage children begin a relationship, the parents find themselves pulled into an intense, illicit affair of their own. As their respective families become increasingly intertwined, the fallout threatens to dismantle every foundation they have built.

The series features an ensemble cast that brings significant weight to the unfolding crisis, led by Dominic Cooper and Romola Garai. They are supported by a formidable lineup including Leila Khan, Johnny Sanpher, Matthew McNulty, Shelley Conn, Andrew Knott, James Murray, and Charley Webb.

The project is the latest from Danny Brocklehurst, whose track record of balancing dark comedy and high-stakes drama—evidenced by hits like Brassic and Fool Me Once—suggests a series that will be as emotionally exhausting as it is addictive. The production is spearheaded by Poison Pen Studios, with an executive production team that includes Ben Stephenson, Preethi Mavahalli, Luke Woellhaf, and ITV’s own Polly Hill.

The Sonic Architecture: James Righton’s Evolution

For many, James Righton remains synonymous with the neon-soaked energy of the mid-2000s indie scene. However, his transition into film and television scoring has revealed a composer capable of profound restraint and atmospheric depth. Following his work on Benjamin, I’ll Be Right There, Daddy Issues, and Untold: The Liver King, Righton has developed a reputation for scores that mirror the psychological interiority of his characters.

In Adultery, Righton is tasked with the delicate challenge of underscoring themes of betrayal and domestic collapse. Unlike the high-energy output of his Klaxons days, his recent work relies on minimalist textures, lingering synth pulses, and arrangements that evoke the feeling of a life coming undone.

By utilizing a sonic palette that feels simultaneously intimate and suffocating, Righton aims to place the viewer inside the headspace of the protagonists. His score acts as a silent witness to the characters’ poor decisions, providing the rhythmic pulse behind their descent into moral ambiguity.

Chronology: The Journey to Production

The development of Adultery reflects the fast-paced nature of modern prestige television.

Pre-Production and Development: With Brocklehurst at the helm, the script underwent extensive development to ensure the central conflict—the parents’ affair mirroring the children’s romance—avoided melodrama and leaned into the psychological realism that has become a trademark of the creator’s work.
Casting and Assembly: The casting phase was critical. Selecting actors who could convey the nuance of infidelity without alienating the audience was a priority. The inclusion of heavyweights like Dominic Cooper and Romola Garai signaled to the industry that ITV was investing heavily in the series’ emotional gravity.
The Scoring Phase: James Righton was brought on board as the series entered post-production. His approach involved months of thematic experimentation, ensuring that the music would evolve alongside the narrative’s darkening tone.
The Premiere: Following a rigorous marketing campaign that highlighted the show’s "will they, won’t they" tension, Adultery arrives on ITV tonight, marking the culmination of a year-long creative effort.

Supporting Data: The Powerhouse Behind the Scenes

The credibility of Adultery is bolstered by the pedigree of its production house and executive team. Poison Pen Studios has curated a creative environment that encourages boundary-pushing storytelling.

Key Executive Producers and Their Influence:

Ben Stephenson: Known for his work on the complex, narrative-heavy Westworld and Castle Rock, Stephenson brings a background in high-concept genre storytelling. His involvement ensures that Adultery has the pacing of a thriller.
Preethi Mavahalli: Her work on The City and the City and The Serpent speaks to a mastery of atmospheric, tension-filled drama. Her ability to oversee projects with a distinct visual and tonal identity is a hallmark of the series.
Polly Hill: As an ITV stalwart, Hill’s oversight on dramas like Wolf Hall and The Missing has helped define the current "Golden Age" of British drama, favoring projects that challenge conventional domestic tropes.

The collaborative synergy between these producers, the creator, and the composer suggests that Adultery is not merely a soap-opera-style drama, but a calculated exploration of the "middle-age crisis" taken to its logical, catastrophic conclusion.

Official Responses: What the Creators Say

In early promotional statements, Danny Brocklehurst has emphasized that Adultery is about the "unspoken truths of suburban life." He noted, "We wanted to explore how easily a life can be fractured by a single, impulsive decision. It’s not just about the act of cheating; it’s about the ripple effect it has on the next generation."

James Righton, discussing his contribution to the series, stated, "The challenge was to avoid the obvious musical tropes associated with ‘affair’ dramas. Instead, I looked for sounds that represented the anxiety of keeping a secret—the way it builds, the way it becomes a physical weight. It’s a very quiet, very intense score."

While cast members have remained tight-lipped regarding the series’ final twists, they have collectively described the script as "intimidatingly honest," noting that filming the scenes between the parents and their children required a high degree of emotional vulnerability.

Implications: The Future of the Domestic Thriller

The premiere of Adultery arrives at a time when audiences are increasingly drawn to "prestige domesticity"—stories that examine the cracks in the facade of the modern family unit. By pairing a high-profile creative team with a musician like Righton, whose roots lie in subculture rather than traditional film composition, ITV is signaling a desire to modernize the aesthetic of its primetime lineup.

Why This Matters:

Genre Blending: Adultery sits at the intersection of family drama and psychological thriller. Its success could encourage more networks to lean into "suburban noir."
The Composer Pivot: Righton’s trajectory highlights a growing trend of indie-rock musicians moving into the scoring world, bringing a fresh, less-orchestral, and more textured sensibility to television soundtracks.
Audience Engagement: By anchoring the conflict in a mirror-image relationship (parents vs. children), the show forces the audience to confront uncomfortable ethical questions about legacy, responsibility, and individual desire.

As Adultery begins its run, the industry will be watching to see if this blend of high-concept writing and moody, avant-garde scoring will translate into the ratings success ITV hopes for. If early interest is any indication, the series is poised to be the centerpiece of domestic conversation for the coming weeks.

The moral of Adultery seems clear: when you choose to burn your life down, you rarely stop to consider who is standing in the flames alongside you. Tonight, as the first episode unfolds, viewers are invited to watch the fire start.