ITV confirms 'Tennison' prequel to 'Prime Suspect'

'Prime Suspect' writer Lynda La Plante's seminal detective 'Jane Tennison' is to be revived by ITV in a 'Prime Suspect' prequel set in 1970's London.

Helen Mirren originally played Jane Tennison, one of the first female Detective Chief Inspectors in the Metropolitan Police, but the prequel will see a young Tennison as she begins her career, revealing why she became such a complex and formidable character, Deadline.com reported.

La Plante came up with the idea for a prequel series based on her latest novel of the same name which will be published in September.

The six-part hourlong period drama, 'Tennison,' will include a strong 70s musical backdrop and will also introduce Tennison's family, opening a window onto the personal life that shaped the character later seen in the Mirren version.

The stylized series is co-produced by La Plante Global and Robert Wulff-Cochrane and Camilla Campbell's Noho Film and Television. Campbell and Wulff-Cochrane are exec producing with La Plante. ITV Studios Global Entertainment is selling internationally.