The Dark, a new six-part crime drama adapted from GR Halliday's novel From the Shadows, premieres on ITV1 and ITVX on Sunday, July 12 at 9pm. The series, described as 'properly scary,' follows detective Monica Kennedy as she investigates a serial killer in the Scottish wilderness.
Plot and Cast
The official synopsis reveals: 'When the body of a young man is found eerily staged in the idyllic Scottish wilderness, detective Monica Kennedy fears this is just the beginning of a terrifying campaign that will strike the heart of a rural community.' As paranoia rises, suspicions and secrets are forced into the light, and the locals start to realise that there is a serial killer hidden amongst them. With her experience of dealing with the darkest of humanity, Monica Kennedy quickly becomes entangled in a heightened game of cat and mouse with a cunning killer. Only she can stop this monster before he claims any more victims. But when her own history creeps up on her, she begins to lose trust in her own judgement. Will it be her own actions that are the biggest risk to herself and her family?'
Outlander star Laura Donnelly leads the cast as Monica Kennedy, alongside Mark Rowley as DC Conor Crawford, Tunji Kasim as Michael Bach, Helen Baxendale as Bethany Morgan, and Emun Elliott as Barclay Adams. The series was filmed across Glasgow last September, as well as the town of Greenock in Inverclyde.
Filming in Scotland
The cast shared why it was special to film in the 'moody and atmospheric' backdrop of Scotland. Speaking exclusively to the Daily Record, Emun Elliott said: 'Often rural Scotland can be romanticised. You know, you get these big vistas of the hills and the rows and the lochs and whatnot, but this really shows a different side to that, and I think the experience of making it reflects the story.' He added: 'When we were on location [at] Barclay and Bethany's house, I was sort of knee deep in mud and rain between takes, as well as during the takes. I think that sort of blustery, hardcore weather, like the violence of that, really has an effect on the characters. There's a sort of robustness that you should be able to see in their faces, and I think that landscape is an extension of that community.'
Elliott continued: 'Just working in Scotland is always fantastic, especially when it's a story that's not just about being Scottish. I think often Scottish stories can be quite inward looking and they have to say something about what it is to be Scottish and, you know, I like this story. Even though it's set in rural Scotland, it really could be happening anywhere.'
Mark Rowley added: '[The landscape] is a massive character... In the highlands, everyone is so down in the dumps during winter because it's ridiculously dark and we were getting to [the] cusp of that stage [when] we were doing it in autumn. And then in summertime, it's so vibrant and there's so much life everywhere. So, it played a massive, massive part for sure.'
Elaborating on the unique nature of the surrounding landscape, Emun previously said: 'Scotland has that sort of folklore and mystery to it, as well as a feeling of isolation, so it's the perfect place for a thriller.'
The Dark begins on Sunday, July 12 at 9pm on ITV1 and ITVX.
