20 September 2014

The Welsh detective series Y Gwyll/Hinterland returns to the screen with a brand-new one-off special episode on S4C on 1 January.

The first series of Y Gwyll/Hinterland, which followed DCI Tom Mathias (Richard Harrington) and his team as they investigate dark crimes in the haunting seaside town of Aberystwyth, proved extremely popular with viewers on S4C, BBC Cymru Wales and BBC Four.

Following the success of the first series, the detective drama will return to S4C in a two-hour special this New Year's Day.

Series One's finale saw DCI Tom Mathias - a brilliant yet troubled former London Met detective - pushed to the edge.

Struggling to differentiate between his professional duties and personal feelings, Mathias found himself caught up in a murder investigation. With his lover dead and blood on his hands, the series came to a dramatic climax with Mathias' future hanging in the balance.

Producers have confirmed that Richard Harrington will return as Mathias in the new episode, but where has he been and have things changed since he's been away?

Expect tension in the ranks and a new mystery which will chill you to the bone.

The first series premiered on S4C last year and has subsequently been shown by broadcasters throughout Europe.

Created by Ed Talfan and Ed Thomas, and produced by Cardiff-based Fiction Factory, Y Gwyll/Hinterland was recently snapped up by VOD giants NETFLIX, and will be available through their services in the USA, Canada and Scandinavia.

"We're excited to announce that the cast and crew are currently back in Ceredigion filming the special New Year's Day episode," says S4C's drama commissioner, Gwawr Martha Lloyd.

"This comes after months and months of knuckling down to develop abstruse and gripping stories for the next instalment. Viewers can look forward to more nail-biting action and will also get to know more about our intriguing leads and their murky pasts."

The special New Year’s Day episode will be shown first on S4C, with English subtitles available for non-Welsh speakers.

"After the success of the first series, we are looking forward to working with our partners at S4C, BBC Cymru Wales and All3Media International to deliver the next instalment of Y Gwyll/Hinterland," says producer Gethin Scourfield.

"Our brilliant cast and crew have been shooting for the past two weeks. The atmosphere on set is great and there is a great deal of excitement about the new episode and the series that is set to follow."

If you missed the first series catch up now with Y Gwyll/Hinterland DVD released by Arrow Films in May this year.

Y Gwyll/Hinterland is produced by Fiction Factory for broadcasters S4C and BBC Cymru Wales. The series is produced in association with Tinopolis and All3Media International.

Y Gwyll / Hinterland, Thursday 1 January at 9.00pm on S4C. English subtitles available.

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