Gavin & Stacey legend confirmed for brand-new "witty, twisty" BBC crime series
The star will be teaming up with another familiar Welsh face for this twisted thriller
Gavin & Stacey legend Steffan Rhodri has been confirmed to be leading the cast of a new BBC crime drama set along the Welsh coastline.
The actor, famed for playing Dave Coaches in the beloved BBC sitcom, will be joining forces with Baby Reindeer and Gangs of London star Mark Lewis Jones for “witty and twisty” new series, Old Town Murders.
The duo star in the six-part drama as DI Glyn Walsh and DS Sion Dearden – two detectives nearing the end of their careers.
When Walsh makes an unexpected early return to work after taking time off for bereavement leave, he teams up with Dearden on the case of a murdered university professor.
While most detectives their age would be winding down their case load, Walsh and Dearden instead find new purpose in their lives when they move in together and work on a series of murders across the seaside town of Tenby.
Soon living and working together, the pair must navigate their new home/work dynamic while dealing with a string of bizarre cases – including the poisoning of a headteacher who drowned wild swimming to a triathlon that results in a case of mistaken identity.
The BBC have noted the show is “a story of friendship, secrets and second chances”.
Joining them in the cast are The Red King’s James Bamford as DC Neil Miller, The Guest’s Bethan Mary-James as DC Remy Jones and Keeping Faith’s Catherine Ayers as Chief Superintendent Melanie Morris.
Shetland star Julie Graham will also be helping their investigations as forensic biologist Pamela Thomas.
The show will be filmed across Wales, with planned production dates in Tenby, Cardiff and the South Wales Coastline, and a base in Bridgend.
Matthew Berry, the show’s writer and executive producer, said of the new series: “Old Town Murders is more than a crime drama; at its heart, it’s about friendship, reinvention and the courage to begin again later in life.
“After working together on Men Up, I wrote this series for Mark and Steffan, and I can’t wait for them, alongside the rest of our incredible cast, to bring these characters to life.”
Head of Commissioning for BBC Cymru Wales, Nick Andrews said: “Old Town Murders is where picture perfect Wales meets murder mystery in a thrilling, twisty tale.
“The incredibly talented Matt Barry and the brilliant team at Quay Street have a track record of delivering standout drama time and time again, and we’re absolutely delighted to be partnering with them on what’s set to be another showstopper series.”
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Old Town Murders is coming soon to the BBC.
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Authors
Tilly Pearce is a freelance TV journalist whose coverage ranges from reality shows like Love Is Blind to sci-fi shows like Fallout. She is an NCTJ Gold Standard accredited journalist, who has previously worked as Deputy TV Editor (maternity cover) at Digital Spy, and Deputy TV & Showbiz Editor at Daily Express US.
