In deep trouble

Sophie Rundle, Matt Stokoe and Nicholas Gleaves talk to Lynn Rusk about the new series of disaster thriller After The Flood

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STAND OFF: Sophie Melville as DCI Stella Hopkins, Siobhan Gleave as detective Jo Marshall and Sgt Mackie

DETECTIVE series have long been a staple of British television and in an increasingly crowded market, standing out can be a challenge.

After The Flood, written by Mick Ford, combines all of the hallmarks of a classic whodunnit with a fresh twist: the story unfolds against the looming threats of flooding and moorland fires.

Starring Peaky Blinders actress Sophie Rundle, The Crown’s Nicholas Gleaves and Bodyguard actor Matt Stokoe, the first series followed the investigation into the death of an unidentified man after a flash flood struck a small English town.

The disaster thriller is returning for a second series, introducing new cast members including Waterloo Road’s Jill Halfpenny, Sherwood actor Alun Armstrong and Deadwater Fell’s Matthew McNulty.

The six-part series follows recently promoted detective Jo Marshall, played by Sophie and her new partner DS Sam Bradley, played by Jill, as they tackle a baffling murder investigation amid the escalating threat of moorland fires and the risk of further flooding

Buckinghamshire-born Sophie, 37, says: “It was great to have a year’s gap between the stories because it gave the character a chance to grow and change, so I could bring something new to her.

“Over the course of a year, you naturally evolve as a person, and I think that was reflected in her too. She’s been a mother for a year now, and that has changed her, as well as her relationships. It was wonderful to return to this new side of her.”