Hidden Chilling crime drama Hidden returns with a six-part second seriesOFFICIAL PRESS RELEASENEWS PROVIDED BY BBC Four The hit crime drama Hidden continues this year with a six-part second series following the success of the chilling first series. Returning to BBC One Wales on Tuesday 11 February at 9pm and BBC Four on Saturday 15 February at 9pm, the second series will see the return of DCI Cadi John (Sian Reese-Williams) and DS Owen Vaughan (Siôn Alun Davies). When the brutal murder of an ex-teacher is discovered following an anonymous phone call, Cadi leads an investigation in the slate-strewn mountains of Blaenau Ffestiniog. While Cadi and Vaughan have a new case on their hands however, three young friends (Mia - played by Annes Elwy, Connor - played by Steffan Cennydd and Lee - played by Siôn Eifion) have blood on theirs. As their lives - and the investigation - unravels, they soon find out there is nowhere to hide. Introduction by producer Hannah Thomas The new series of Hidden is produced by Cardiff-based Severn Screen. It sees the return of award-winning author Caryl Lewis, and directors Gareth Bryn and Chris Foster. The series is produced by Hannah Thomas and executive produced by Ed Talfan. Series Producer Hannah Thomas talks about the second series of Hidden. What makes this series such a joy to be part of is that it showcases the very best of Wales and Welsh talent - both in front of and behind the camera. Wales has a growing reputation for creating world-class drama and when you spend time filming in the landscapes that are on offer and working with the talented crews that we have in Wales you can see why. For this series, we’re back in north Wales, which is absolutely central to the show. Our precinct this time is Blaenau Ffestiniog and the surrounding area. Blaenau is such a unique setting; a small town that was once, ‘the town that roofed the world’. A place that sits nestled in the mountains and which offers stunning vistas whichever way you turn - not to mention an entirely unpredictable microclimate! The use of landscape and the locations that we visit are central to our story and to our approach - from Cadi’s home on the epic Menai Straits to the urban centres of Bangor and Caernarfon, from the stunning Crimea Pass to the man-made reservoir at Trawsfynydd, the second series shows to full effect the diverse and epic scenery of north Wales. One of the main reasons we were so keen to embark on a second series was so that we could bring our talented creative team back together. As with the first series, we were thrilled to be able to work with Caryl Lewis whose deep knowledge of Wales and its people brings so much colour and texture to the scripts. Caryl has the ability to be able to distil complex issues in an accessible and entirely human way - it’s always such a pleasure to be able to work with her and as one of Wales’ leading writers we feel incredibly lucky to have her on board. Lead director Gareth Bryn and director Chris Forster also returned bringing a distinctive visual style to the series and this, combined with key returning characters such as DCI Cadi John and DS Owen Vaughan made the project extremely rewarding from a creative point of view. The prevailing theme of the second series is guilt - from the guilt that Cadi feels at having caused her father upset before he died to the guilt that Connor carries with him for having not put a stop to an incident that has catastrophic results. Guilt is an emotion that is absolutely universal and which we all experience at some points in our life. We take an unflinching look at the lives of three new characters; teenagers Mia Owen, Connor Pritchard and Lee Williams and explore what happens when young people, who feel that they have no hope and no future, make the wrong decisions. Introduction by writer Caryl Lewis Writer Caryl Lewis on creating compelling characters in the second series of Hidden. There is a particular duality to Wales which makes it at once familiar and unfamiliar. There are linguistic worlds within worlds, and a culture that is at the same time accessible and welcoming and occasionally startingly different. Even the landscape seems to get in on the act, enfolding and hiding towns and villages within its mountainous regions. Writing the second series of Hidden was a great opportunity to visit one of those small towns and examine a complex cultural and socio-economic setting. In contrast to season one which had one perpetrator, season two follows three young people which gives the writing a more chaotic and unpredictable feel. Season one was about a perpetrator’s control, season two is essentially about lack of control. The three young people ricochet through the storyline and commit what seems to be a senseless act of violence. We stuck with the ‘why done it’ formula again this season in order to spend time with our three characters and drill down into their worlds. Among other things, we touch upon young people’s lack of agency; poverty, neglect, political apathy and abuse, and reflect on the fact that perhaps, in some ways, we all share the blame as a society for the outcomes of these problems. The stunning locations around north Wales are a gift. They are both heart-achingly beautiful and bleak, they are cinematic and intimate. Rooting stories into place provides us with a depth that allows us to explore landscape as character. The exceptional diversity of vistas too is astonishing. Beaches and mountains a stones’ throw from each other. Housing estates in national parks. Tiny cottages in vast swathes of emptiness. The old slate mining town of Blaenau where much of the action of season two was filmed is a town which has historically mined out its innards and piled them up around its peripheries, but it is also a town with a rich culture, a future, hope and despair. A bleak and beautiful place. Getting the casting right for our three perpetrators was always going to be critical, but as ever, in Wales, the pool of talent is of an exceptionally high quality. Annes Elwy brings to Mia a terrifying stillness shot through with flickers of vulnerability. Steffan Cennydd exudes guilt from every pore as he plays out every mother’s nightmare and Siôn Eifion captures the tormented anguish and restlessness of Lee Williams brilliantly. We are privileged to have world-class acting talent on our doorstep to write for, actors we can push, actors who push us into creating ever more dynamic, complex and diverse roles for them in a mutually beneficial creative engagement. Sian Rees-Williams glows once again in this series with her constant, reassuring cool-girl presence and Siôn Alun Davies brings a warmth and humanity to every shot. As I’ve said before, Hidden is not meant to be an easy watch. It pushes us sometimes into difficult spaces. Hidden is about shining a light into dark places. Bracing yourself and trying not to judge. It is an exercise in understanding and compassion, and ultimately, because of that, an impulse towards hope. Cast Crew
Source BBC Four
February 3, 2020 5:40am ET by BBC Four |
BBC FourSHARE THIS
Latest Press Releases |
