ob Brydon, Rupert Graves, Martin Kemp, Patsy Kensit and Cathy Tyson have joined the cast for the first film of ITV’s McDonald & Dodds, alongside leading actors Jason Watkins and Tala Gouveia.

Filming is underway on the second series of the contemporary detective drama following the success of the feature-length films which aired earlier this year on ITV, produced by leading independent production company, Mammoth Screen, an ITV Studios company.

The new series sees Tala Gouveia (Cold Feet) and BAFTA award winning actor Jason Watkins (The Lost Honour Of Christopher Jefferies, The Crown) reprise their roles as the smart and ambitious DCI McDonald and the humble, and quietly brilliant DS Dodds in three new murder mysteries.

They are joined in the first film by guest cast members Rob Brydon (Gavin & Stacey), Rupert Graves (Sherlock), Martin Kemp (The Krays), Patsy Kensit (Absolute Beginners) and Cathy Tyson (Mona Lisa).

Returning cast includes James Murray as Chief Superintendent Houseman, Jack Riddiford as DC Darren Craig with Lily Sacofsky joining as DC Milena Pachiorkowski.

Set in picturesque Bath, the series pairs feisty DCI McDonald, who has recently transferred from London’s Met Police, with the unassuming DS Dodds, who has been happy in the background for most of his working life. To McDonald’s surprise they form an unexpectedly effective crime solving partnership.

A hot air balloon trip ends in murder in the first investigation of the series. The suspects are a group of friends who achieved notoriety in the 1980s played by Rupert Graves, (Gordon), Martin Kemp (Mick), Patsy Kensit (Barbara) and Cathy Tyson (Jackie). Rob Brydon plays Roy from the Air Incident Investigation Agency who assists McDonalds & Dodds with their enquiries.

Robert Murphy, creator and executive producer, has written the first two films with Kam Odedra (Gangs of London) writing the third. Directors are Alex Pillai (Chilling Adventures of Sabrina), Rebecca Rycroft (Malory Towers) and Ian Aryeh (In The Long Run) McDonald & Dodds will once again be filmed in the West Country.

The new series has been commissioned by ITV’s Drama Commissioner Huw Kennair Jones and Head of Drama, Polly Hill. Huw will oversee production of the drama from the channel’s perspective.

Damien Timmer (Endeavour, Poldark) and Preethi Mavahalli (Noughts + Crosses, The War of the Worlds) are the executive producers for Mammoth Screen, an ITV Studios company, alongside writer Robert Murphy (Vera, Shetland, DCI Banks). The producer of the new series is Sarah Lewis (Noughts + Crosses, Victoria).

The first series is available to view via streaming platform Britbox. Series one launched with a consolidated rating of 6.4m and a 26% share of the available audience and boasted an impressive guest cast list alongside Tala Gouveia and Jason Watkins which included Robert Lindsay, Rosalie Craig, Ellie Kendrick, Susannah Fielding, Joanna Scanlan, Michele Dotrice, Freddie Fox and Hugh Dennis.

McDonald & Dodds is a co-production with Britbox North America and is distributed internationally by ITV Studios.

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Notes to editors

Mammoth Productions for McDonald & Dodds are adhering to the TV and film production industry-wide guidelines published in May and the guidance developed by all UK broadcasters, the Association of Commercial Broadcasters and On-Demand Service (COBA) and Pact covering how pairs and small groups of actors can interact closer than two metres safely on set. This guidance is also complementary to the British Film Commission guidelines on managing the risks with film and high-end TV drama production.

The new health and safety measures implemented to ensure filming on high-end dramas can resume include regular coronavirus testing of cast and crew and temperature checking before filming. Social distancing will be adhered to by crew members, and the actors and production teams will observe closed cohort guidelines which limits contact with other individuals whilst filming. COVID Supervisors will also be employed on set to ensure health and safety protocols are adhered to.

Camera and sound equipment will be fully sanitised at the end of each filming day and make-up will be applied by technicians wearing full PPE. Hand sanitisation facilities have also been installed for frequent hand washing and crews will wear masks throughout filming.