Coronation Street actor Chris Gascoyne made his return to television as a villain in the first episode of BBC's Northumbria Mysteries, which aired on Friday afternoon. The actor, known for playing Peter Barlow, appeared in scenes filmed at Dunstanburgh Castle in Northumberland.
The new drama, produced by local company Lonesome Pine, was shot across the North East earlier in the year, with locations including Alnwick, Earsdon, Morpeth and Rothbury. Its debut on BBC One drew complaints from some viewers about the time slot, who argued it should have aired in the evening, similar to the North East crime drama Vera, which ended in early 2025.
Robson Green's character faces peril
Robson Green stars as ex-criminal Joe Ruby, who becomes involved in a murder investigation and decides to help solve it. His investigations bring him into contact with Ace Dawson, played by Gascoyne, who kidnaps Ruby and takes him to Dunstanburgh Castle, where he appears to face a deadly fate before being rescued by DI Rose O'Connell and DS Raj Singh.
The castle, used for a sinister scene, looked striking on screen, with viewers impressed by the shots of Northumberland throughout the episode.
Second episode details
The second episode of Northumbria Mysteries will air on BBC One at 2pm on Friday, October 30, with the first four episodes also available to stream on iPlayer.
