Traces (TV series)

Last updated

Traces
Traces Title Card.jpg
Genre Crime drama
Created by
Written by
  • Amelia Bullmore
  • Val McDermid
Directed by
Starring
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Original languageEnglish
No. of series2
No. of episodes12
Production
Executive producers
  • Philippa Collie Cousins
  • Michaela Fereday
ProducerJuliet Charlesworth
Running time45 minutes
Original release
Network Alibi
Release9 December 2019 (2019-12-09) 
22 March 2022 (2022-03-22)

Traces is a British television crime drama produced by Red Production Company (a StudioCanal company). Co-created and written by Val McDermid and Amelia Bullmore, and based upon an original idea by McDermid, it originally premiered on Alibi on 9 December 2019. The series was rerun on BBC One on 4 January 2021 and series one began repeating on Drama on 15 January 2022, [1] A second six-episode series was released in February 2022. [2] [3] [4] and was shown on BBC One from 30 March 2024. [5] [6]

Contents

Synopsis

Traces focuses on three female forensic professionals, Emma Hedges, Sarah Gordon and Kathy Torrance, working together at the fictional Scottish Institute of Forensic Science and Anatomy (SIFA) at the fictional University of Tayside in Dundee, Scotland, as they uncover the truth of a murder case and bring a killer to justice.

Cast and characters

In the first series, the cast was as follows: [7]

Episodes

Series overview

SeriesEpisodesOriginally released
First releasedLast released
1 69 December 2019 (2019-12-09)24 December 2019 (2019-12-24)
2 615 February 2022 (2022-02-15)22 March 2022 (2022-03-22)

Series 1 (2019)

No.
overall
No. in
series
TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal release dateUK viewers
(millions) [17]
11"Episode 1" Mary Nighy Amelia Bullmore 9 December 2019 (2019-12-09)1.00
22"Episode 2"Mary NighyAmelia Bullmore10 December 2019 (2019-12-10)0.89
33"Episode 3"Mary NighyAmelia Bullmore16 December 2019 (2019-12-16)0.84
44"Episode 4"Mary NighyAmelia Bullmore17 December 2019 (2019-12-17)0.79
55"Episode 5"Mary NighyAmelia Bullmore23 December 2019 (2019-12-23)0.81
66"Episode 6"Mary NighyAmelia Bullmore24 December 2019 (2019-12-24)0.83

Series 2 (2022)

No.
overall
No. in
series
TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal release dateUK viewers
(millions)
71"Episode 1"Chris Foggin Amelia Bullmore 15 February 2022 (2022-02-15) [18] N/A
82"Episode 2"Chris FogginAmelia Bullmore22 February 2022 (2022-02-22)N/A
93"Episode 3"Chris FogginJess Williams1 March 2022 (2022-03-01)N/A
104"Episode 4"Claire WinyardJess Williams8 March 2022 (2022-03-08)N/A
115"Episode 5"Claire WinyardAmelia Bullmore15 March 2022 (2022-03-15)N/A
126"Episode 6"Claire WinyardAmelia Bullmore22 March 2022 (2022-03-22)N/A

Production

Traces is set in and around Dundee, but the majority of the series was filmed in Bolton. [19] [20] The theme tune is a cover of Nina Simone's "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood" by Valerie Broussard. [21]

Critical reception

Stuart Heritage reviewing on behalf of The Guardian rated the series three out of five, and whilst acknowledging the series is loaded with talent, said "this is what happens when TV runs out of new shows". [22] The Times awarded the series two out of five, with Carol Midgley saying that "the biggest crime here so far is a lack of flavour". [23]

References

  1. "Traces". DRAMA. UKTV. Retrieved 16 January 2022.
  2. "Alibi Renews 'Traces' For Second Season". TV Wise. 28 September 2020. Retrieved 22 January 2021.
  3. "Will Traces Return For Series 2?". Bustle. 19 January 2021. Retrieved 22 January 2021.
  4. @alibi_channel (10 December 2021). "This just in! #Traces Series 2 will be on your screens in February 2022, with returning cast: @martin_compston,…" (Tweet) via Twitter.
  5. Hibbs, James (30 March 2024). "Traces season 2: Release date and latest news". Radio Times. Retrieved 22 April 2024.
  6. "BBC One - Traces". BBC. Retrieved 22 April 2024.
  7. "Meet the cast of BBC forensics drama Traces, 6 January 2021". Radio Times. Retrieved 22 January 2021.
  8. "Traces: Molly Windsor interview". Alibi. Retrieved 22 January 2021.
  9. "Laura Fraser says female-led TV shows like Traces are "still really rare", 4 January 2021". Radio Times. Retrieved 22 January 2021.
  10. "Traces: Laura Fraser interview". Alibi. Retrieved 22 January 2021.
  11. "Traces: Jennifer Spence interview". Alibi. Retrieved 22 January 2021.
  12. "Martin Compston says his Traces character is a "contrast" to Line of Duty's Steve Arnott, 4 January 2021". Radio Times. Retrieved 22 January 2021.
  13. "Traces: Vincent Regan interview". Alibi. Retrieved 22 January 2021.
  14. "Traces: Michael Nardone interview". Alibi. Retrieved 22 January 2021.
  15. "Traces: John Gordon Sinclair interview". Alibi. Retrieved 22 January 2021.
  16. "Traces: Laurie Brett interview". Alibi. Retrieved 22 January 2021.
  17. "BARB 7-Day viewing data". BARB.
  18. Darvill, Josh (19 January 2022). "Traces series 2 release date and cast revealed as hit drama returns to Alibi". Tellymix. Retrieved 8 February 2022.
  19. "Where is Traces filmed? Dundee filming locations for BBC One drama series with Martin Compston, 4 January 2021". i (newspaper). Retrieved 22 January 2021.
  20. "Dramatic scenes shot in Bolton open tonight's episode of gripping series". The Bolton News. 6 April 2024. Retrieved 22 April 2024.
  21. "Traces theme song: Explore the artist, songs and soundtrack of BBC Crime Drama". HITC. 5 January 2021. Retrieved 1 November 2021.
  22. "Traces review - this is what happens when TV runs out of new shows, 4 January 2021". The Guardian. Retrieved 22 January 2021.
  23. "Traces review - the biggest crime here so far is a lack of flavour, 5 January 2021". The Times . Retrieved 22 January 2021.