Y Gwyll/Hinterland gets third series commission
01/11/2015

The hit crime drama series Y Gwyll/Hinterland will return for a third series, it has been confirmed.

Series 3, to be filmed on location in Ceredigion, will start shooting in Aberystwyth and the surroudning area in January 2016.

Produced back-to-back in Welsh and English, it will be broadcast first in Welsh on S4C with a bilingual version set to be televised on BBC One Wales. S4C is scheduled to broadcast the series in autumn 2016, with BBC Wales broadcasting early in 2017.

Financed by broadcast partners S4C and BBC Wales, together with all3media International, Tinopolis, the S4C Co-Production Fund and Welsh Business Finance, it is produced by award-winning production company Fiction Factory. Series 3 will be produced by the show's co-creators Ed Talfan and Ed Thomas.

The announcement about Series 3 is made as Series 2 comes to a gripping end on S4C. Series 2 is set to be broadcast on BBC One Wales in the new year.

Among the big names confirmed for the third series of the ground-breaking crime drama is Richard Harrington as the enigmatic, intense but brilliant detective DCI Tom Mathias.

The stellar cast of the multi award-winning series will again feature Mali Harries as DI Mared Rhys and Aneirin Hughes as Chief Inspector Brian Prosser.

The series is distributed internationally by all3media International and has now been sold to over 30 countries and is available on Netflix worldwide.

Series Executive Producer Ed Thomas of Cardiff-based Fiction Factory said: "We are delighted to be starting work on Series 3, and are hugely grateful to our partners at S4C, BBC Wales and all3media International for their continuing support. The success of the show is testament to the hard work of our wonderful cast and crew and we look forward to teaming up with them again for Series 3."

S4C Drama Commissioner, Gwawr Martha Lloyd said: "The second series has lived up to expectations and the storylining and character development keep on gathering momentum. Commissioning a third series was just a must for the partner broadcasters, as the loyalty of its viewers, both in Wales and worldwide, keeps on growing. This commission reflects our pride and belief in the series."

Steve Macallister, Chief Executive of all3media Internatonal said: "Y Gwyll/Hinterland is a powerful and timeless drama, packed with complex characters and storylines, which has quickly become one of our stand-out primetime properties. Strong returning drama series are always in demand internationally, allowing broadcasters and platforms to build a loyal following and create a real buzz with each new season, and we’re delighted to see the series commissioned for a third time.”

I thought Hinterland was entertaining and intelligently written overall. The story lines held my attention and the investigative team he works with are people I cared bout.

But DCI Mathias himself comes close to being the stereotypical detective who has personal problems and often breaks the rules on the job, getting himself into hot water in the process with his superiors and his family. He doesn't quite reach the full cliche of the dangerous, outside the lines police inspector, however, because he maintains a healthy relationship with his daughter, and he mostly has a good rapport with his team. And at least he seems to regret his mistakes, which mostly center around his handling of suspects and witnesses.

Many police detective shows follow one of two paths: either they solve a crime every episode or else it takes the entire series to solve it. Hinterland throws a bit of a curve, because the plot of at least one of the crimes is carried over to all three series while other plots are resolved. Those lingering plot lines fade to the background certainly, but there it percolates and surfaces in small ways, waiting to emerge once gain as a major plot. I also like the settings of this series.

So I recommend this show, though if you have a few of the better mystery series on your viewing list, I wouldn't go so far as to suggest you bump them and watch this first.