What is The Bay about?
This new ITV thriller centres on DS Lisa Armstrong, who is working as a family liaison officer and is assigned to the investigation into the disappearances of a pair of 15-year-old twins.
At first, the case seems like any other she has worked on, but a twist halfway through the first episode threatens to derail the investigation when Lisa realises she has a personal connection to the family she is supposed to be supporting.
The show is set against the backdrop of the Lancashire town of Morecambe, and examines how the community reacts to the investigation, before fingers start pointing at various local characters as to who could be responsible for the twins’ abduction.
But with her own attachment to the case, Lisa’s fight for justice could come at a huge cost.
Who’s in The Bay cast?
Morven Christie as DS Lisa Armstrong
Lisa is a single mum who is described as being good at her job, but also likes having a laugh with her mates.
It is this love of partying that lands her in trouble at the start of the drama, as her drunken actions during a night out lead to her having to cover her tracks as the case progresses.
Viewers will best know Morven as mum Alison in BBC One’s The A Word, for playing Amanda in Grantchester and starring alongside Vicky McClure in The Replacement.
Jonas Armstrong as Sean Meredith
Sean is father to missing twins Holly and Dylan and is described as a hard-working family man. However, he is primarily seen as one of the suspects and is arrested early on in the investigation.
“He has a reputation,” Jonas says, “which we come to learn about and is known around Morecambe for the type of guy that he is.”
Jonas is recognisable to fans of the BBC’s dramatisation of Robin Hood, where he played the lead role from 2006 to 2009. More recently, he’s appeared in the likes of Line Of Duty, Troy: The Fall Of A City and Ripper Street.
Chanel Cresswell as Jess Meredith
Mum-of-four Chanel beside herself when her twins go missing, and her relationship with Lisa will become central to the show as the investigation goes on.
“It seems that everything that can go wrong for Jess is going wrong and her lifeline to her missing children is DS Lisa Armstrong,” she said.
Chanel is a Bafta-winning actress, best known for playing Kelly Jenkins in the This Is England series. She’s also appeared in Sky sitcom Trollied and BBC One’s 2018 drama The Split.
Daniel Ryan as DI Anthony ‘Tony’ Manning
Tony Manning is the Detective Inspector in charge of the investigation into the missing Meredith kids and is the highest-ranking police officer in the Morecambe area.
Tony’s TV credits include Linda Green, The Government Inspector and Steel River Blues. Most recently, he appeared in ITV’s 2018 mini-series, Innocent.
Taheen Modak as DC Ahmed ‘Med’ Kharim
Having been a detective for a few years, DC Kharim is put on a case by DI Manning to shadow Lisa, and is learning the ropes as a family liaison officer.
Taheen explains: “His wife has just had a child so he comes with a whole bunch of new challenges and hurdles to jump over but Lisa quickly tells him not to bring his home life to work with him. A rule she doesn’t always live by herself as we come to see.”
This is Taheen’s biggest role of his career to date.
Lindsey Coulson as Penny Armstrong
Penny is Lisa’s mother, who lives with her and her two children, Abbie and Rob.
Lindsey is arguably the most recognisable of all the cast, thanks to her years of playing Carol Jackson on EastEnders.
Why should I watch The Bay?
With its coastal setting and plot focussing on the disappearance of two young children, The Bay has immediately drawn comparisons to Broadchurch.
Much like the hit series, The Bay looks closely at the fall out for the family of the missing girls and the relationship they have with the officers investigating the case.
Taheen Modak, who plays DC Kharim, says: “We take a look at a crime from a different angle; not just looking at detective work but actually working with the families and making it more of a personal story.”
Chanel Cresswell – who plays Jess, the mother of the missing twins – adds: “Jess’ relationship with Lisa is paramount to the success of the investigation and she has to trust the FLO. She needs Lisa to stay connected to her children so it’s a very interesting dynamic and not one that we’ve in a television drama this closely before.”
When is The Bay on?
The Bay began on Wednesday 20 March at 9pm on ITV, with the five remaining episodes following each week at the same time.