Hot Picks: The Galway Bay Murders

Blue Lights producer Two Cities Television is venturing out of the Belfast streets and into Ireland’s rugged west coast for its latest crime drama, which comes with a transatlantic flavour.

The Galway Bay Murders introduces seasoned NYPD detective Nora Savage, whose attempt to live a quiet life in Connemara is thrown into disarray when she is drawn into investigating the murder of a young woman found in a bog.

The drama’s origins lie in a chance meeting between first-time writer Eithne Verling and US actor Kate Mulgrew (Star Trek: Voyager; Orange Is The New Black) that blossomed into a close friendship. “Kate and Eithne have a very deep bond,” says Two Cities joint chief executive and creative director Stephen Wright. “They have a lot of things in common, and that has worked its way into the formation of the show and Kate’s character.”

Wright hails Mulgrew’s “genuine passion” for the series. “As soon as she came into the room, you knew she wanted to make it – she was 100% in, no question. Kate has a real connection with Eithne and they trust each other.

“Kate was a great driving force in terms of saying to me, ‘Look, how close are we? Are we nearly there? I want to do this.’ Her commitment got it across the line with RTÉ.”

Unusually for a first-time writer, Verling has written all six episodes of series one, having built the storyline with a writers’ room. She brings her background as an archaeologist and a museum curator to tell a story drawn from her deep attachment to the region.

“It’s exciting to have somebody changing their career and coming into an industry with great energy and authenticity,” says Wright. “She writes truthfully and she cares about the place and the people. Irrespective of the plot and the genre that we were in, she had a real sense of place and of the character she wanted to write. Just like Blue Lights and Belfast, the place is a character in the show.”

The combination of a twisty crime, beautiful Galway locations, a colourful ensemble of police characters and an engaging lead are all major selling points for the series, says ITV Studios senior vice-president of global content, scripted, Kate Barnes.

“In Nora Savage, we have a central character we’re fascinated by, respect and, most importantly, genuinely enjoy spending time with,” Barnes says. “She has calm confidence, a brilliant detective, and she has a wonderful dry sense of humour. She is brave and intelligent, but we see her fallibility and darkness in her private moments.”

Mulgrew’s involvement should make the drama an appealing prospect in the US and ITVS is putting her name front and centre in its international push, alongside veteran Irish actor Colm Meaney, another famous face from the Star Trek universe, whose credits range from The Commitments to Gangs Of London and The Serpent Queen.

“We know directly from global fans how excited they are to bring these two beloved actors together in one project for the first time,” says Barnes. “Kate’s a highly recognisable face with credits across multiple fan and audience groups. In a crowded media landscape, we all know how important that thumbnail image is and having someone as recognisable as Kate would mean a lot to our international buyers.”