By Georgia Weir
Copyright hellomagazine
If the BBC’s new four-part series The Guest had you on the edge of your seat from the very first episode, there’s no doubt that you’re trawling through the channels for new shows to watch after the spectacular series finale premiered in late September. The series, which is penned by Matthew Barry (Men Up), is set in Wales and follows the toxic relationship between a newly employed cleaner, Ria (Gabrielle Creevy), and her mysterious employer, Fran (Eve Myles). If you’re itching for other Welsh dramas to get your fix while you wait for season two, you’re in luck. Our TV and streaming experts have offered up five incredible Welsh dramas to add your to watchlist.
Keeping Faith
Keeping Faith premiered in 2018 and ran for three seasons before ending in 2020. It’s a highly-revered crime thriller that has 100 per cent rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Set in Wales, Faith, a lawyer, is forced to cut short her extended maternity leave when her husband and business partner, Evan, goes missing. As the truth of his actions surface, Faith must fight to protect her family and her sanity. You can stream all three seasons of the series on BBC iPlayer for free.
Pembrokeshire Murders
Pembrokeshire Murders was one of the most acclaimed series of 2021 – and for good reason. Starring Beauty and the Beast star Luke Evans, the three-part series looks at two real-life double murders of siblings Richard and Helen Thomas, and married couple Peter and Gwenda Dixon, which took place in Wales in the 1980s. The murders went unsolved for decades, before the cases were reopened.
The official synopsis reads: “In 2006, newly promoted Detective Superintendent Steve Wilkins decided to reopen both cases. Employing pioneering forensic methods, Wilkins and his handpicked team found microscopic DNA and fibres that potentially linked the murders to a string of burglaries committed in the 80s and 90s.
“The perpetrator of those robberies was nearing the end of his prison sentence, but if Steve Wilkins was right, he was also a serial killer … Could Steve and his team find enough forensic evidence to charge their suspect before he was released to potentially kill again?”
Set in the fictional village of Pontyberry in the South Wales Valleys, Stella stars Ruth Jones, Karen Paullada and Craig Gallivan. IMDb’s official synopsis reads: “Stella is a middle aged single mum bringing up three kids in the valleys of Wales. Her eldest son is in prison for stealing cars and her two younger children are still at school, with the usual trials and tribulations of teenage life.
“Her best friend is a functioning alcoholic funeral director married to her brother. A cast of colourful local characters add to the great scenery and agile dialogue expected from Ruth Jones. A warm and funny off-beat drama playing to the strengths of writers and actors.”
Hinterland (Y Gwyll)
Billed as a noir crime, Hinterland premiered in 2013 and is set in Aberystwyth, Wales, where troubled DCI Tom Mathias solves murders that end up revealing the darkness and corruption hidden beneath the town’s otherwise tranquil façade. Starring Welsh actor, Richard Harrington, the show has three series and averaged an impressive 83 per cent on Rotten Tomatoes.
The Accident
Originally airing on Channel 4, The Accident is set in the fictional town of Glyngolau in Wales. The official synopsis for the show reads: “The Accident written by Jack Thorne is set in the fictional community of Glyngolau – a ‘left behind’ town in Wales. In episode one, an explosion on the construction site of a much needed and sought-after regeneration project claims the lives of several teenagers who have broken onto the building site to make mischief.
“As grief gives way to anger the community finds itself forced to confront difficult truths amid the search for justice.” Starring acting heavyweights like Sarah Lancashire, Outlander’s Mark Lewis Jones and Slow Horses’ Joanna Scanlan, the series clinched a score of 93 per cent on Rotten Tomatoes – making it one to add to your watchlist.