Hit Aberdeen-set crime drama Granite Harbour returns for a third series this week, and cops Lindo (Romario Simpson), Bart (Hannah Donaldson) and the Major Investigations Team are faced with a complex case that could rip local communities apart.
For Romario, who plays Lindo, Granite Harbour’s willingness to tackle an array of issues is part of what keeps it fresh. He says: “It’s thrilling to be able to delve back into these characters and explore a completely different topic, which is the travelling community.
Romario Simpson and Hannah Donaldson return in Granite Harbour
“Previous series looked at issues like refugees and the docks, whereas this is something new, but it’s another story that people can relate to and learn from.”
Fans may also notice a change in his character. He says: “[Lindo is] older, wiser and more mature now. He understands his team better, he understands his role as a detective better, and I think you really see him develop both as a person and as a police officer.”
While the nature of the cases may change and the characters evolve, the Aberdeen setting remains, which Romario thinks is another selling point for the crime drama. “Aberdeen offers so much visually. You’re right by the coast, there are so many different landscapes and it’s a city that people can really relate to.
“Viewers can recognise locations and think, ‘I know that place,’ or, ‘I’ve been there.’ It’s great to be part of a show that feels so connected to the city and the people who live there.”
Granite Harbour is back on BB1 this Friday, and is one of our five top picks of the must-see new shows of the week.
Katherine Kelly, left, and Eve Myles star in the gripping crime thriller the Crow Girl
SERIES
The Crow Girl: 5 on Monday at 9pm
Originally available via streaming service Paramount+, this gritty and tension-filled six-part crime thriller is finally receiving a terrestrial TV showing; three episodes will broadcast this week. It’s based on a book series by Erik Axl Sund and stars two of British TV’s leading actresses – Eve Myles and Katherine Kelly. Myles plays DCI Jeanette Kilburn, whose team begins investigating the death of a young man whose body was found on a busy Bristol street. She calls in renowned psychotherapist Dr Sophia Craven (Kelly) for help. Her profile of the possible killer offers a fresh but troubling perspective on the case, and there’s more bad news to come as the bodies mount up. And if that cast and synopsis doesn’t get you interested, maybe the fact that Guns n Roses guitarist Slash is among the executive producers might.
There’s trouble brewing for Trewley, far left, in the Secret Lives of Gypsy Wives
DOCUMENTARY
The Secret Lives of Gypsy Wives: Channel 4 on Monday at 10pm
We’ve seen fly-on-the-wall documentaries on the subject before, such as My Big Fat Gypsy Weddings and Stacey Dooley: Growing Up Gypsy, but this new series promises to offer a new and more up-to-date perspective by exploring how social media has impacted on traveller communities. If you’re a regular user of TikTok, you may already be familiar with Trewley Precious, who appears regularly on the platform promoting cosmetics; she’s also a podcaster who openly discusses sex and relationships. However, as we’re about to learn, the activities of 25-year-old Trewley – who still lives at home – are regarded as acts of rebellion by some, and her mum Tina is concerned about a possible backlash from other members of their community.
True crime documentary series Murder 24/7 follows every decision and every lead, minute by minute
DOCUMENTARY
Murder 24/7: BBC1 on Tuesday at 9pm
The documentary series, which follows murder investigations in real time, minute by minute, returns. In the early hours of the morning in Droitwich Spa, Worcestershire, a 999 call is made by Egyptian national Mohamed Samak saying he has found his wife Jo in their home with a knife in her stomach. Despite attempts to resuscitate her, Jo is declared dead at the scene and the officers arrest the husband, an ex-international hockey player, on suspicion of murder. But was Jo’s death a suicide rather than a homicide?
The crew of the USS Enterprise blasts off for exciting new adventures in the fourth series of the spin-off from Star Trek: Discovery.
SERIES
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds: Paramount+ from Thursday
We’re boldly going back into the universe created by legendary screenwriter and producer Gene Roddenberry as the fourth season of this hit series, a prequel to the original 1960s TV show, begins. It should bring us ever closer to the era of Captain James T Kirk, Mr Spock and the rest of the crew, but first, Captain Christopher Pike and his staff on the USS Enterprise have lots of adventures to face and new foes to deal with. Don’t worry, they have plenty of time in which to explore new life and civilisations too, providing inner demons don’t get in the way. Expect a few fresh faces to shake things up too, while characters familiar to regular viewers are due to pop up along the way. Anson Mount, Rebecca Romjin and Ethan Peck star. Episodes beam down weekly on Thursdays.
The new season of Granite Harbour premieres this Friday on BBC1
SERIES
Granite Harbour: BBC1 on Friday at 8pm
Cops Lindo (Romario Simpson), Bart (Hannah Donaldson) and the Major Investigations Team are back as the hit Aberdeen-set crime drama returns, and this time the cops are faced with a complex case that could rip local communities apart. It begins when teenage cafe worker Lisa Sterling disappears into the woods following a birthday celebration for Rose Gough, matriarch of the local traveller community. When her body is found in a ravine the next morning, it initially seems like a tragic accident but quickly becomes a murder investigation. Lisa was last seen with Rose’s grandson, Matty Gough, who has disappeared following the party. That’s enough for social media to brand him the prime suspect, but then the cops make a discovery that sends the case in a new direction.