Maya (2026 TV series)

Lore & Background

Maya was commissioned by Channel 4 in February 2025 and is produced by Two Brothers Pictures. The series was conceived by Daisy Haggard, who wrote the pilot and immediately pictured Bella Ramsey in the lead role. Haggard co-directs with Jamie Donoughue and serves as executive producer alongside Harry and Jack Williams, Sarah Hammond, Alex Mercer, and Daisy Mount. On 1 July 2026, Starz joined as a co-production partner.

The story follows teenage Maya (Bella Ramsey) and her mother Anna (Daisy Haggard) as they enter witness protection after escaping a life-threatening danger in London. They are relocated to a remote Scottish village under new identities, aided by Senior Detective Constable Debs (Josie Walker) and officers Tony (Stuart Bowman) and Karen (Kiran Sonia Sawar). Their past haunts them as two hitmen, Benji (Ben Chaplin) and Ted (Raphel Famotibe), pursue them, and a calculating figure named Bobby (Tobias Menzies) remains a looming threat.

Filming took place in Scotland, including a shop in Dalmuir, Gourock Ferry Terminal, Giffnock, Newton Mearns, and streets in Glasgow and Dennistoun. Production wrapped in the first week of December 2025. The ensemble cast also includes Harriet Walter, Tom Courtenay, Serena Manteghi, Archie Backhouse, Paul Blair, Sonny Poon Tip, Finlay Shack, Max Fincham, Ash Hunter, Harry Hadden-Paton, Tori Allen-Martin, and Isabele Derosa.

Reader's Guide

Maya is notable as Daisy Haggard's directorial debut and for reuniting her with Bella Ramsey, who previously played her daughter in Hilda. The series blends a British take on parenting with the oddities of witness protection schemes, as described by Channel 4's Ollie Madden. It received early buzz as one of 2026's most anticipated shows, named by The Standard, the Irish Independent, The Independent, italktelly, and The Guardian. Deadline called it the 'buzziest show' at the 2026 London TV Screenings. The series represents a co-production between Channel 4 and Starz, expanding its reach to US audiences. Its Scottish filming locations and ensemble cast underscore its production scale, while the premise of trauma and pursuit under new identities offers a contemporary thriller narrative.

Did You Know?

• Daisy Haggard wrote the pilot script for Maya and co-directs with Jamie Donoughue.
• Filming took place in Scotland, including a shop in Dalmuir that closed for filming on September 8, 2025.
• The series was named one of the '20 TV shows that everybody will be talking about' in 2026 by The Independent.