The new crime drama, Annika, has been adapted from the successful BBC Radio 4 drama by Nick Walker. The TV adaptation stars Nicola Walker as DI Annika Strandhed, reprising her performance in the titular role after providing Annika's voice for the radio drama.
The commissioning team described Nicola Walker's detective series as "a breath of fresh air with a whip-smart detective, great cases and the glorious Scottish scenery. Nicola Walker has been integral in helping us develop her character, creating a maverick female detective who not only has Norwegian ancestry but is dryly funny, a chaotic parent and a fish out of water."
Here's everything you need to know about Annika.
Annika release date
In the UK Annika premiered on Alibi in August 2022. The US premiere is on October 16, at 10 pm on PBS Masterpiece.
For those who missed the original release, it will also be on BBC One. The first episode aired on Saturday, May 20 at 9:15 pm with episodes to follow on a weekly time slot. It is also available on iPlayer.
What is Annika about?
Annika follows the sharp, witty and enigmatic DI Annika Strandhed (Walker), as she heads up a new specialist team — the Marine Homicide Unit (MHU) — that is tasked with investigating the unexplained, brutal and seemingly unfathomable murders that wash up in the waterways of Scotland.
Throughout the series, Annika makes the audience her confidante by breaking the fourth wall and sharing her wry observations on the case and her life, as she manages her brilliant yet unconventional team and her equally brilliant yet complex teenage daughter.
Speaking about the role, Nicola Walker told What to Watch: "The show is set in Glasgow, and it's a Marine Homicide Unit. It's dangerous to bill it as a crime drama because it's a lot more than that, and the unusual thing about it is that my character breaks the fourth wall constantly, so the audience is very much the other character in the show — you're all in it too!"
Who stars in Annika?
Nicola Walker plays DI Annika Strandhed. Speaking about her new role, Nicola said: "Annika navigates the world, her work and her home life in fabulously unique and unusual ways and I can't wait to see her come to life in Scotland."
Walker has a vast array of credits including recent hits Marriage, Unforgotten and The Split.
Jamie Sives (Guilt) plays Annika's second-in-command DS Michael McAndrews, who is not only a trained diver but also still has his nose out of joint after losing out on the role to head up the Marine Homicide Unit when Annika pipped him to the post. "She's waltzed back into Glasgow and taken his job," says Jamie. "He's in a bit of a huff."
Katie Leung (The Nest) appears as the team's tech expert DC Blair Ferguson, who has a dry sense of humor and a formidable intellect. "Blair's the data analyst, so she is on the computer a lot!" says Katie. "She really admires Annika and maybe sees her in that kind of position when she is older."
Ukweli Roach (Blindspot) stars as DS Tyrone Clarke, a young and ambitious officer who acts first and stops to ask questions later. "He's always trying to impress, sometimes a little too hard," admits Ukweli, "But he certainly looks up to Annika."
Silvie Furneaux (Red Rose) stars as Annika's clever, complicated daughter, Morgan Strandhed.
Is there a trailer for Annika?
Yes, the trailer for Annika introduces us to Nicola Walker as the titular character, including her breaking the fourth wall which will be a frequent device throughout the series. It doesn't give too much away but Annika describes solving a murder as "a slippery business".
