Traces (TV series) explained

Genre:	Crime drama
Country:	United Kingdom
Language:	English
Num Series:	2
Num Episodes:	12
Producer:	Juliet Charlesworth
Executive Producer:	Philippa Collie Cousins Michaela Fereday
Runtime:	45 minutes

Traces is a British television crime drama produced by Red Production Company (a StudioCanal company). Co-created and written by Val McDermid and Amelia Bullmore, and based upon an original idea by McDermid, it originally premiered on Alibi on 9 December 2019. The series was rerun on BBC One on 4 January 2021 and Series One began repeating on Drama on 15 January 2022,^[1] A second six-episode series was released in February 2022.^{[2] [3] [4]} and was shown on BBC One from 30 March 2024.^{[5] [6]}

Synopsis

Traces focuses on three female forensic professionals, Emma Hedges, Sarah Gordon and Kathy Torrance, working together at the fictional Scottish Institute of Forensic Science and Anatomy (SIFA) at the fictional University of Tayside in Dundee, Scotland, as they uncover the truth of a murder case and bring a killer to justice.

Cast

In the first series, the cast was as follows:^[7]

• Molly Windsor^[8] as Emma Hedges, a lab technician who has moved back to her birthplace of Dundee, for her new job, and in search of answers about her mother's murder.
• Laura Fraser^{[9] [10]} as Professor Sarah Gordon, professor of Chemistry at the University of Tayside and Emma's new boss at SIFA.
• Jennifer Spence^[11] as Professor Kathy Torrence, a professor of forensic anthropology at the University of Tayside and a colleague at SIFA.
• Martin Compston^[12] as Daniel MacAfee, director of a construction company and romantic interest of Emma.
• Vincent Regan^[13] as Phil MacAfee, Daniel's father and former director of MacAfee Construction.
• Michael Nardone^[14] as Detective Inspector Neil McKinven, a friend of Professor Gordon who has insight on the Marie Monroe case.
• Phil McKee as Jimmy Levin, husband of Marie Monroe and Emma's stepfather.
• John Gordon Sinclair^[15] as Drew Cubbin, Emma's father and ex-partner of Marie Monroe.
• Morayo Akandé as Detective Constable Trina Adeboyo, colleague of DI McKinven at Police Scotland.
• Jamie Marie Leary as Skye Alessi, Emma's childhood best friend.
• Carly Anderson as Marie Monroe, Emma's mother who was murdered in 2001, and whose case remains unsolved.
• Laurie Brett^[16] as Izzy Alessi, best friend of Marie Monroe, and mother to Emma's childhood best friend Skye.
• Joana Borja as Dr Pia Salvador, forensic scientist and love interest of Professor Torrence.
• Andrea Hart as Janine Muir, SIFA's receptionist.
• Anna Leong Brophy as Louise Chiu Jones, chemist and Emma's colleague at SIFA who works alongside her in the lab.
• Neve McIntosh as Julie Hedges, Emma's maternal aunt, who adopted her after the murder of her mother and took her to Manchester.
• Janey Godley as Clare Tindall, a criminal defence lawyer who represents Daniel.

Production

Traces is set in and around Dundee, but the majority of the series was filmed in Bolton, England.^{[17] [18]} The theme tune is a cover of Nina Simone's "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood" by Valerie Broussard.^[19]

Episodes

Series 2 (2022)

Critical reception

Stuart Heritage reviewing on behalf of The Guardian rated the series three out of five, and whilst acknowledging the series is loaded with talent, said "this is what happens when TV runs out of new shows".^[20] The Times awarded the series two out of five, with Carol Midgley saying that "the biggest crime here so far is a lack of flavour".^[21]

Notes and References

1. Web site: Traces. DRAMA. UKTV. 16 January 2022.
2. Web site: Alibi Renews 'Traces' For Second Season . TV Wise . 28 September 2020 . 22 January 2021.
3. Web site: Will Traces Return For Series 2? . Bustle . 19 January 2021 . 22 January 2021.
4. 1469275791619940352. alibi_channel. This just in! #Traces Series 2 will be on your screens in February 2022, with returning cast: @martin_compston,…. 10 December 2021.
5. News: Hibbs . James . Traces season 2: Release date and latest news . 22 April 2024 . Radio Times . 30 March 2024.
6. Web site: BBC One - Traces . BBC . 22 April 2024.
7. News: Meet the cast of BBC forensics drama Traces, 6 January 2021 . 22 January 2021 . Radio Times.
8. News: Traces: Molly Windsor interview . 22 January 2021 . Alibi.
9. News: Laura Fraser says female-led TV shows like Traces are "still really rare", 4 January 2021 . 22 January 2021 . Radio Times.
10. News: Traces: Laura Fraser interview . 22 January 2021 . Alibi.
11. News: Traces: Jennifer Spence interview . 22 January 2021 . Alibi.
12. News: Martin Compston says his Traces character is a "contrast" to Line of Duty's Steve Arnott, 4 January 2021 . 22 January 2021 . Radio Times.
13. News: Traces: Vincent Regan interview . 22 January 2021 . Alibi.
14. News: Traces: Michael Nardone interview . 22 January 2021 . Alibi.
15. News: Traces: John Gordon Sinclair interview . 22 January 2021 . Alibi.
16. News: Traces: Laurie Brett interview . 22 January 2021 . Alibi.
17. News: Where is Traces filmed? Dundee filming locations for BBC One drama series with Martin Compston, 4 January 2021 . 22 January 2021 . i (newspaper).
18. News: Dramatic scenes shot in Bolton open tonight's episode of gripping series . 22 April 2024 . The Bolton News . 6 April 2024 . en.
19. Traces theme song: Explore the artist, songs and soundtrack of BBC Crime Drama. HITC. January 5, 2021. November 1, 2021.
20. News: Traces review - this is what happens when TV runs out of new shows, 4 January 2021 . 22 January 2021 . The Guardian.
21. News: Traces review - the biggest crime here so far is a lack of flavour, 5 January 2021 . 22 January 2021 . The Times.