ITVhasgreenlitasecondseriesofcontemporarydetectivedrama,McDonald&Dodds,followingthesuccessofthefeature-lengthfilmswhichairedearlierthisyearproducedbyleadingindependentproductioncompany,MammothScreen. ThenewseriesseesTalaGouveia(ColdFeet)andBAFTAawardwinningactorJasonWatkins(TheLostHonourOfChristopherJefferies,TheCrown)reprisetheirrolesastheambitiousDCIMcDonaldandthehumble,andquietlybrilliantDSDoddsinthreenewmurdermysteries. SetinpicturesqueBath,theseriespairsfiestyDCIMcDonald,whohasrecentlytransferredfromLondon’sMetPolice,withthemodestandunassumingDSDodds,whohasbeenhappyinthebackgroundformostofhisworkinglife. Throwntogetherseeminglywithnothingincommon,theyforgearumbustious,andultimatelyhighlyeffectivecrimesolvingpartnership. CreatedandexecutiveproducedbyRobertMurphy,whoistheleadwriterfortheseries,McDonald&DoddswillonceagainbefilmedintheWestCountry.ThebrandnewepisodeswillbedirectedbyAlexPillai(ChillingAdventuresofSabrina,Riverdale),RebeccaRycroft(MaloryTowers,DannyandMick)andIanAryeh(InTheLongRun,AndyandtheBand). ThenewserieshasbeencommissionedbyITV’sDramaCommissionerHuwKennairJonesandHeadofDrama,PollyHill. Huwwilloverseeproductionofthedramafromthechannel’sperspective. CommentedHuwKennairJones: “We’redelightedwiththeaudiencereactiontothefirstseriesofMcDonaldandDodds.Thetwocharacterscouldn’tbefurtherapart,whichiswhatmakestheseriessointriguingtowatch. Theyshouldn’thavechemistry,buttheydo,andtheyworkbrilliantlyinpartnershipwhichistestimonytoRobert’sscriptandTalaandJasonforbringingMcDonald&Doddstolife.” CommentedMammothScreen’sDirectorofDrama,PreethiMavahalli: “WearethrilledthatRobertMurphy’scleverstorytellingwasahitwithaudiencesearlierthisyear.McDonald&DoddsareaquirkilyuniqueinvestigativeteambroughttolifebeautifullybyTalaGouveiaandJasonWatkins.We’rereallypleasedITVhavecommissionedmorefilmsandlookforwardtoreturningtofilminBath.” DamienTimmer(Endeavour,Noughts+Crosses,WorldonFire)andPreethiMavahalli(McDonald&Dodds,Noughts+Crosses,TheWaroftheWorlds)aretheexecutiveproducersforMammothScreen,anITVStudioscompany,alongsidewriterRobertMurphy(McDonald&Dodds,Vera,Shetland,DCIBanks).TheproducerofthenewseriesisSarahLewis(Noughts+Crosses,McDonald&Dodds,Victoria). ThefirstseriesisavailabletoviewviastreamingplatformBritbox. Seriesonelaunchedwithaconsolidatedratingof6.4manda26%shareoftheavailableaudienceandboastedanimpressiveguestcastlistalongsideTalaGouveiaandJasonWatkinswhichincludedRobertLindsay,RosalieCraig,EllieKendrick,SusannahFielding,JoannaScanlan,MicheleDotrice,FreddieFoxandHughDennis. ITVStudioswilldistributethedramainternationally.
