When is ITV crime drama McDonald and Dodds on TV?

When is McDonald & Dodds on TV?

McDonald & Dodds' first series comprises a pair of two-hour episodes. The first aired on 1st March and the second will follow on Sunday 8th March at 8pm on ITV.

The drama was originally commissioned under the working title "Invisible".

Here's the trailer:

What is McDonald & Dodds about?

The drama brings together the "wildly ambitious" DCI McDonald (Tala Gouveia) with the "shy, modest" DS Dodds. Set in Bath, the first series consists of two feature-length TV films.

According to ITV, "While McDonald has transferred from the mean streets of South London to leap up the career ladder, Dodds has happily languished on the shelf for most of his working life. McDonald is a tough, driven, battering ram of a cop who cracks cases through sheer force of will; Dodds – the tortoise to her hare – is quiet, unassuming and enigmatic.

"But thrust back into frontline action for the first time in a decade, he discovers a hidden talent for deciphering puzzles. Two contemporary Britons, seemingly with nothing in common, thrown together, boss McDonald and loyal sidekick Dodds forge a rumbustious, entertaining and ultimately – give or take a few setbacks – effective partnership."

The first episode focuses on a greed-fuelled murder in the upper echelons of Bath society, while the second tells the story of an unexplained death in a private hospital for recovering addicts.

McDonald & Dodds is created and written by Robert Murphy, the lead writer on DCI Banks.

Who is in the cast of McDonald & Dodds?

Though each two-hour episode is a standalone story featuring new guest stars, the core cast of cops will remain the same.

Jason Watkins stars as quiet and unassuming Bath detective DS Dodds. He's known for shows including W1A, A Very English Scandal, and The Lost Honour of Christopher Jefferies, and is set to play Prime Minister Harold Wilson in The Crown.

His co-star Tala Gouveia plays DCI McDonald and is more of a newcomer, with credits including Cold Feet and Go Jetters.

We've also got James Murray as Chief Superintendent John Houseman, Pearl Chanda as DC Laura Simpson, and Jack Riddiford as DC Darren Craig.

• Meet the cast of McDonald and Dodds

Episode 1 guest stars:

The first episode stars Robert Lindsay as the entrepreneur and multi-millionaire Max Crockett, whose family gets dragged into a murder case when a man dies on Crockett family property.

Max has three daughters, and is a bit of a King Lear figure – trying to manipulate his children into competing for his affection and his inheritance. Game of Thrones' Ellie Kendrick plays his daughter Ellie Crockett, Susanna Fielding plays Tamara Valentine, and Rosalie Craig plays Megan Walkton.

Jack Ashton (of Call the Midwife) and Navin Chowdhry have been cast as his sons-in-law, with Cassie Bradley as his daughter-in-law.

Natalie Mendoza (Hotel Babylon) and Roger Evans (Da Vinci’s Demons) will also feature in the first episode.

Episode 2 guest stars:

In episode two, we'll meet Joanna Scanlan as Kelly Mulcreevy, the director of a private clinic called The Mara Retreat. Hugh Dennis plays the facility's CEO.

"Treating patients with a range of disorders, the exclusive hospital comes under scrutiny when one of the patients is unexpectedly found dead in her room," ITV says.

The episode also stars Caroline Catz as sex addict Alison, Michele Dotrice as gambling addict Mary, Freddie Fox as drug addict Miles, and Kiran Sonia Sawar as social anxiety sufferer Maheeda.

Suzanne Packer and Charlotte Ritchie also feature in the episode.

Will there be more episodes of McDonald & Dodds?

ITV describes the drama as "a series of feature length crime mysteries, featuring two intriguing stories in this first outing."

So if audiences enjoy these two episodes, it sounds like the broadcaster might commission more...