The Dark, a new six-part ITV crime drama series based on GR Halliday's debut novel From the Shadows, premieres this weekend. The show, described as "twisted," is expected to appeal to fans of The Bay.
Premise and Setting
Set against the atmospheric backdrop of the Scottish Highlands, the series follows DI Monica Kennedy (Laura Donnelly) and her new colleague DC Connor Crawford (Mark Rowley) as they hunt a masked serial killer. The trailer hints that "the killer lives among" the local residents, creating tension within the rural community.
Cast and Characters
Laura Donnelly, known for Outlander, stars as DI Monica Kennedy. Mark Rowley, from Karen Pirie, plays DC Connor Crawford. Helen Baxendale portrays devastated mother Bethany Morgan, whose missing son is connected to the case. The first look images show Kennedy and Crawford in an intense cat-and-mouse pursuit across the Scottish countryside.
Inspiration and Appeal
Speaking at the ITV Showcase event earlier this year, Donnelly said: "I play DI Monica Kennedy and I'm trying to find a serial killer in the Highlands of Scotland. Scotland is kind of a leading character and that was actually a huge part of what attracted me to it because I've spent a lot of time in Scotland. I went to drama school in Scotland, and most of my family lives in Scotland, even though none of us are from there, and when you get up around that landscape it's all very, very evocative and it is its own atmosphere. I just thought that mixed with the subject matter would create something that a really cosy evening viewing."
Plot Details
The story begins when the corpse of a young man is discovered chillingly arranged in the picturesque Scottish countryside. DI Kennedy fears this marks only the start of a horrifying spree that will tear through the heart of a rural community. As fear takes hold, suspicions and hidden truths are dragged into the open, and residents begin to comprehend that a serial killer is lurking in their midst. Drawing on her expertise in confronting the very worst of human nature, DI Kennedy rapidly finds herself embroiled in an intense game of cat and mouse with a calculating murderer. She alone has the power to halt this monster before he takes further lives. But as her own past begins to haunt her, she starts to doubt her own instincts. Could her own decisions prove the greatest threat to both herself and her family?
Broadcast Information
The Dark airs Sunday, July 12 at 9pm on ITV1 and ITVX.
