Bloodlands: What’s it about and who’s in the cast?

Northern Irish crime drama is produced by Line of Duty’s Jed Mercurio

Isobel Lewis
Tuesday 23 February 2021 14:52 GMT
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Bloodlands trailer

BBC One’s biggest new crime drama Bloodlands kicked off on Sunday (21 February) night.

Written by new writer Chris Brandon, the Northern Irish thriller stars James Nesbitt as a police officer who finds himself pulled into a historical case with a personal connection to his family.

Featuring an impressive cast, Bloodlands has also been given the Jed Mercurio seal of approval, with the Line of Duty creator producing the series.

Here’s everything you need to know about Bloodlands...

When does Bloodlands air?

Tom Brannick (right) with his daughter Izzy, played by Lola Petticrew

Bloodlands kicks off this Sunday (21 February) at 9pm on BBC One, with episodes airing weekly.

How long is the series?

Shorter than most Mercurio shows, Bloodlands will run for just four episodes, with the final episode being broadcast on Sunday 14 March.

What is Bloodlands about?

Set in Belfast, the series follows Detective Inspector Tom Brannick, a police officer who one day pulls a car out of Strangford Lough and connects it with a serial killer known to the police as Goliath.

Two decades ago during the Troubles in Northern Ireland, Goliath murdered for people, one of whom was Tom’s wife.

Mercurio has described the series as “a contemporary thriller series with one foot in Northern Ireland’s emotive past”.

“In addition to being a gripping police thriller, Bloodlands explores the dilemma of whether seeking justice for Goliath’s long-dead victims should jeopardise the fragile and hard-won peace of present-day Northern Ireland,” he said.

Who’s in the cast?

Charlene McKenna and Christopher Walley in Bloodlands

Leading the cast is Cold Feet’s Nesbitt as DCI Tom Brannick.

He’s joined by Top Boy’s Lisa Dwan as doctor Tori Matthews, Derry Girls’ Ian McElhinney as Adam Cory and Spaced’s Michael Smiley as Dinger.

The supporting cast includes Lorcan Cranitch, Charlene McKenna, Lola Petticrew, Chris Walley, Peter Balance, Kathy Kiera Clarke, Susan Lynch, Asan N’Jie and Cara Kelly.

What else has Jed Mercurio done?

While Mercurio is arguably best known for creating Line of Duty, the award-winning writer has created a number of other successful TV dramas.

Among these are Bodyguard (the critically acclaimed 2018 series starring Keeley Hawes and Richard Madden), a 2015 adaptation of Lady Chatterley’s Lover; and medical drama Bodies, which ran from 2004 to 2006.

Bloodlands begins Sunday 21 February at 9pm on BBC One.

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