Steeltown Murders shares first look at BBC drama with Philip Glenister

The first look images give us a sneak peek into what's to come in the gripping new drama, which will follow two timelines of the '70s and early 2000s.

The synopsis for the series outlines: "Set in both 1973 and the early 2000s, Steeltown Murders centres on the hunt to catch the killer of three young women in the Port Talbot area and the remarkable story of how - in the first case of its kind - the mystery was solved almost 30 years later using pioneering DNA evidence."

It continues: "Contrasting the policing methods of the 1970s with the forensic breakthroughs of the early Noughties, Steeltown Murders is a portrait of a town dealing with the repercussions of an unsolved case three decades on, and asks if justice can ever truly be found."

Leading the cast will be Philip Glenister (Life On Mars) and Steffan Rhodri (Gavin & Stacey) as DCI Paul Bethell and Phil ‘Bach’ Rees. Their younger selves will be played by Scott Arthur (Good Omens) and Siôn Alun Davies (The Sandman) respectively.

Speaking about his new role on the announcement of the series back in November 2022, Glenister said: “Ed’s scripts are a poignant and compelling read, balancing the tragic events alongside the revolutionary advances in DNA profiling which were crucial in this case and many others since. I’m also very happy to be part of a production filmed in south Wales where I have my own family connections.”

Similarly, Rhodri added: “I’m honoured to be teaming up with Marc Evans again to work on this moving new drama. It’s a harrowing story set in the community where I grew up, and the dedication and innovation shown by those who finally cracked the case make it a fascinating venture for me.”

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The first images from the series show that this is set to be one remarkable drama, with a cast full of familiar faces.

The rest of the cast includes Keith Allen (The Pembrokeshire Murders, Marcella), Priyanga Burford (Industry, No Time To Die), Sharon Morgan (Yr Amgueddfa, Gangs Of London) and Nia Roberts (Red Rose, Yr Amgueddfa).

Elinor Crawley (Vikings, Ordinary Lies) and Gareth John Bale (35 Awr, Y Pris) will also be joining the series, which has been co-commissioned with BBC Wales, as well as Kriss Dosanjh (The Larkins, Casualty), Matthew Gravelle (Silent Witness, Broadchurch), Amy Morgan (Mr Selfridge, Showtrial), Dyfan Dwyfor (A Very English Scandal, Bang) and more.

Steeltown Murders will be coming to BBC One and BBC iPlayer soon. Visit our Drama hub for more news, interviews and features, or find something to watch now with our TV Guide and Streaming Guide.

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