Shetland star to lead new BBC police drama - and it sounds gripping
The BBC has announced the cast for its upcoming police drama, An T-Eilean (The Island), which is led by Shetland and His Dark Materials actress Sorcha Groundsell.
The series, which is the UK's first-ever high-end Gaelic drama, is billed as a "tense, twisting story of lies, loss and long-buried secrets" set against the sweeping landscape of the Western Isles of Scotland. Intrigued? Here are all the details.
The upcoming four-parter, which combines Gaelic dialogue with English, follows a young Family Liaison Officer named Kat Crichton, who is called out to a remote island mansion to investigate the brutal killing of the wife of a local tycoon.
Sorcha stars alongside Sagar Radia (Industry), who portrays her on-screen boss, DCI Ahmed Halim. The case unravels on the island of Lewis and Harris, from where Kat mysteriously fled a decade earlier.
Also featured in the cast is Iain Macrae (Bannan) as Sir Douglas, the head of the wealthy – but deeply dysfunctional – Maclean family. While Elspeth Turner plays his murdered wife, Lady Mary.
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The synopsis continues: "Having been wounded in the attack that killed his wife, mystery surrounds whether the self-made millionaire Sir Douglas is somehow implicated.
"Amidst the most stunning Scottish backdrop, this four-part series takes viewers on a murder mystery journey of suspense to find out who the killer really is, with surprising twists and turns along the way."
Playing the four grown Maclean children are Sinéad MacInnes (Outlander) as Eilidh, Andrew Macinnes as Calum, Meredith Brook as Sìne (Bannan) and Sam James Smith as Ruaraidh.
Other cast members include Daibhidh Walker; Sharyn Ferguson, Carina MacLeod, Tormod Macleòid, MJ Deans, Iain 'Spanish' Mackay and Julia Taudevin.
The series will air early next year on BBC ALBA, BBC iPlayer and BBC Four.
Leading lady Sorcha said the drama marks "a watershed moment for Gaelic". "Across the world, we are seeing indigenous languages step confidently out from the shadows to enjoy the recognition they deserve," she said in a statement. "I see our show as part of that wider movement; a celebration of all that makes us unique."
The Scottish actress added: "Working on An t-Eilean has been a privilege and a joy. I'm so proud to have been part of a production that is pioneering these new horizons for Gaelic and showcasing the beauty, creativity and depth our language brings to the world."
Meanwhile, her co-star Sagar Radia said: "Being part of An t-Eilean has been an exciting experience for me. The show really allowed us to showcase the beauty of Gaelic culture and language in a way that feels authentic – it's about bringing the islands' rich history to life for viewers, and I'm so proud to be part of that."
Viewers will recognise Sorcha for her roles in The Innocence and Clique. More recently, she depicted Byrd Fleming in season seven of Shetland, and Nicola Briggs in The Long Shadow. Meanwhile, Sagar is best known for playing AJ Nair in The Good Karma Hospital and Rishi Ramdani in Industry.
