Robbie Coltrane (Harry Potter, Cracker) leads the cast as detective Douglas Hain. Written by acclaimed writer David Pirie (Murder Rooms, Woman in White), directed by Catherine Morshead (Ashes to Ashes, Viva Blackpool) produced by Touchpaper Scotland, part of the RDF Media Group, and commissioned by ITV1, the 3 x 60 min drama was filmed on location around London.

Coltrane starred alongside, Sharon Small (Mistresses, The Inspector Lynley Mysteries), Lucy Cohu (The Queen's Sister, Becoming Jane), Amanda Hale (Persuasion), Nicholas Gleaves (Foyle’s War, Robin Hood), David Westhead (Criminal Justice), Andrew Tiernan (Survivors), David Gyasi (Law & Order) and Bel Powley (M.I. High)

Murderland is an emotional and passionate thriller that tells a traumatic murder story through the eyes of three central characters: Carrie the daughter of the murdered woman, Douglas Hain, the detective in charge of the investigation and Sally the murder victim. Murderland is a knife edge thriller of revenge, redemption and rough justice, where three different perspectives eventually enable us to see the truth.

Three points of view

A knife-edge three part emotional noirish thriller - set in 1994 and present day - told from three points-of-view:-

Carrie, (Bel Powley) the daughter of the murdered woman, whose life has been changed forever and whose memories may hold the key to the killer’s identity. And her adult self, Carol, (Amanda Hale) a woman determined to find out who her mother really was and what happened to her.

DI Douglas Hain, (Robbie Coltrane) the detective in charge of the investigation, who involved with the case more than he can reveal to anyone. Like Carrie, Hain is haunted by the murder so when adult Carol turns up on his doorstep he feels forced to help her, regardless of the cost and his own motives.

Sally, (Lucy Cohu) the murder victim whose hopes and dreams of carving out a better life for herself and her daughter are smashed to pieces one fateful night in 1994. And whose life – and death - we will piece together through flashback, from different perspectives, unravelling the truth about her and the real reason she died.

How murder affects a child

Murderland is a drama that asks the question – can you ever move on from terrible events that befall you as a child, and grow up and make a new life? Or will you be forever haunted, unable to really live as an adult until you know the truth? When the event is the murder of your mother while you were only 13 and the murderer was never caught, a state of obsession can overtake you – you enter Murderland. To return from there is an arduous journey lasting well into your adult life. So that finally the grown-up Carol’s desire to find the terrifying truth is stronger than her ability to forget, even if it puts her life and the lives of others in danger.

Murderland is a taut thriller in the film noir tradition: full of moral and sexual ambiguity, especially surrounding the victim. But contained within the three episodes a love story. Love lost and found, trust destroyed and rebuilt, and the endless questions that linger over what might have been.

Through three perspectives the drama eventually pieces together the truth. And in the process it will show how widely the recollection of events can vary from person to person, sometimes painfully so.

ITV’s Murderland series starring Robbie Coltrane

Murder as seen through three people involved

Starring Robbie Coltrane, Sharon Small, Lucy Cohu, Amanda Hale, Nicholas Gleaves, David Westhead, Andrew Tiernan & Bel Powley