Filming has begun on the third series of popular detective drama McDonald
Dodds starring Tala Gouveia and Jason Watkins in the lead roles. The latest series sees Claire Skinner (Outnumbered) join the cast as Chief Superintendent Ormond. Reuniting DCI McDonald, played by Tala Gouveia, and DS Dodds, played by BAFTA award winner actor Jason Watkins, season three of the Bath set detective series consists of four standalone films. Lily Sacofsky returns as DC Milena Pachiowski with Danyal Ismail joining the cast as DC Martin Malik Speaking about her role in the new series, Claire Skinner, said I'm a huge fan of McDonald
Dodds so I'm delighted to be joining the cast as Chief Superintendent Ormond. Ormond is a quietly intimidating character so she'll be keeping McDonald
Dodds on their toes throughout this new series. In the first film, Belvedere, a young woman is found dead sitting in a deckchair in broad daylight in one of Bath’s most beautiful and populated parks. Why did this woman die with a smile on her face Guest cast members starring in the first film include Alan Davies (Jonathan Creek), Holly Aird (Waking The Dead), , Catherine Tyldesley (Coronation Street) and Dame Siân Phillips (I, Claudius). The series was commissioned for ITV by Polly Hill and Huw Kennair Jones and will be produced by Rebecca Davies. Executive producers are Damien Timmer and creator and lead writer Robert Murphy. Robert Murphy has written films one and four, Robert Drummond has written film two and Kam Odedra has written film three. Directors are Robert Quinn, Isher Sahota, Ian Aryeh and Sasha Ransome. McDonald
Dodds is produced by leading independent production company Mammoth Screen, co-produced by BritBox North America, and created by Robert Murphy. Series two achieved consolidated ratings of 6.7m. The first and second series are available to view via streaming platform Britbox North America. ITV Studios will distribute the drama internationally. Mammoth Screen is one of the UK’s leading production companies. Past and forthcoming shows include The Serpent for BBCNetflix, Noughts
Crosses, World on Fire and Grime Kids for the BBC, Why Didn’t They Ask Evans for Britbox and Endeavour and The Tower for ITV. Mammoth Screen is an ITV Studios Company.
The story begins in 1996 when Colonel Sodhi, now 70, visits his sister and her family. However, even after over half a century, the nightmares of his intense battle and its aftermath often return to haunt him. Old Sodhi and young Amar begin to bond and Sodhi accompanies Amar to Burma (Myanmar) for an assignment from BBC to shoot a documentary on the students against the Military Junta for freedom and democracy. In Singapore, Sodhi visits the places which bring back the memories of him as a Lieutenant in the British Indian Army Lt. Sodhi meets a beautiful photographer Maya who inspires him to change. Sodhi falls in love with Maya who joins the Indian National Army. Old Sodhi lands in Burma with Amar, and is welcomed by an Indian girl Rani. They accidentally get caught in the student protest and firing by the Military Junta to suppress the student agitation. When the soldiers of the Military Junta get rough and violent with Amar and Rani, old Sodhi is suddenly transformed into the young Lt.Sodhi and kills the two Burmese soldiers to defend his group.Old Sodhi and his group's escape from the Burmese soldiers runs parallel to the attack by the British bombers on Lt.Sodhi's unit. In 1944, the Indian National Army, tired, hungry, cold, feverish, sick had reached Imphal to defend it against all the odds piled heavily against them. In a school set up by Rani's grandmother, Old Sodhi finds the photograph of Maya and realizes that Maya has been dead. Old Sodhi, finally redeems himself by helping his young group safely cross over from Burma into India, and keep his promise to Maya that he would one day return to Burma to find her and be with her when his body is blown by the Burmese soldiers to ashes and glory.
