Elen Rhys as DI Ffion Lloyd and Richard Harrington as DS Rick Walters in BBC's The One That Got Away(Image: BlackLight/Banijay Rights)

BBC announces brand new crime drama starring actor behind one of TV's most 'gritty' thrillers

The One That Got Away was filmed on the Welsh coast and is a forensic examination of a town, a killer, and a relationship, past and present

by · The Mirror

The BBC has announced it will be airing a gripping new six-part crime series featuring Richard Harrington from "gritty" TV thriller Hinterland.

The One That Got Away is set and shot in Pembroke Dock, with Harrington portraying DS Rick Walters. He joins forces with his former flame DI Ffion Lloyd, played by Elen Rhys, to solve the murder of a nurse in a Welsh seaside town.

The killing reopens deep-seated scars within the tight-knit community, casting doubt on an old conviction and hinting at the terrifying possibility of a copycat murderer. It delves deeply into the anatomy of a town, a criminal, and a relationship that spans time.

Penned by Catherine Tregenna, who boasts writing credits for Law and Order UK, Lewis, and DCI Banks, The One That Got Away is the English rendition of the Welsh-language show Cleddau, originally produced for S4C.

"The One That Got Away is a deliciously dark and atmospheric thriller sure to keep BBC viewers gripped to the very end," enthused Sue Deeks, Head of BBC Programme Acquisition, reports Wales Online.

Richard Harrington as DCI Mathias in Hinterland/Y Gwyll with Mali Harries as DI Mared Rhys( Image: Daily Post Wales)

This comes 10 years after Harrington captivated viewers in the critically acclaimed TV mystery Hinterland, which was broadcast in both Welsh (as Y Gwyll) and English, earning praise from critics as 'gritty' and described by The Guardian as "Nordic noir done the Welsh way."

The review enthused: "If there is a more darkly brooding detective on TV at the moment, I've yet to meet him. DCI Tom Mathias, as played by Richard Harrington in this set of four films about a new cop reluctantly arrived in Aberystwyth, makes Kurt Wallander (fictional Swedish detective) look positively cheerful."

It continued, highlighting the show's Nordic influences: "The series certainly doesn't wear its Scandinavian inspiration lightly: there are wide shots of steely skies above remote houses and the sea beyond, and stories that refuse to be hurried, finding menace and sadness at every turn. Mathias even drives a Volvo."

The One That Got Away is set to grace screens via BBC Four, BBC Wales, and BBC iPlayer, courtesy of BlackLight TV with backing from Welsh Government through Creative Wales. The air date remains under wraps.