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martin compston traces© Alibi

Line of Duty star Martin Compston's latest BBC drama revealed – and it looks amazing!

The forensic drama is coming to the BBC in January

Francesca Shillcock
Senior Features Writer
December 21, 2020
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Line of Duty star Martin Compston is set to return to our screens sooner than we anticipated thanks to the BBC acquiring his drama Traces.

The forensic crime series, which originally aired its first season on UKTV's Alibi channel in 2019, will be landing on BBC in early 2021.

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Traces is a murder mystery programme focusing on three women working within the Scottish Institute of Forensic Science (SIFA): Emma Hedges (played by Molly Windsor) Prof. Sarah Gordon (played by Laura Fraser) and Prof. Kathy Torrence (played by Jennifer Spence).

The three work together using their forensic expertise to uncover the truth about an unsolved murder.

WATCH: Alibi's Traces is coming to the BBC - see treaser trailer here

Martin Compston plays Daniel McAfee, the love-interest of Emma, who finds himself in the middle of a criminal investigation.

The official synopsis for the drama reads: "Set in Scotland and exploring the world of SIFA, the Scottish Institute of Forensic Science, Traces introduces us to three compelling and very different female characters.

"When 23-year-old Emma Hedges returns to Scotland to take up a new position as a lab assistant at SIFA, she signs up to an online course which teaches the principles of forensic science. But she soon discovers that the fictitious case study has a strikingly similar and shocking link to her past.

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lod steve© Photo: BBC

Martin's also known for his role in Line of Duty

"But she soon discovers that the fictitious case study has a strikingly similar and shocking link to her past. As Emma's sleuthing takes her into darker corners and unpicks more and more secrets, it becomes clear that she should trust no-one."

Other stars in the show include Laurie Brett, Morayo Akandé, John Gordon Sinclair, Joana Borja, Anna Leong Brophy and Neve McIntosh.

Fans of Martin's will no doubt be pleased to see the actor return to screens soon after Line of Duty was delayed due to coronavirus. The show was forced to postpone filming at the beginning of the year due to lockdown restrictions but was then able to continue while keeping social distancing rules in place.

Season six of the popular procedural drama will be out by the end of March 2021, so we can safely say that next year is already looking up!

Traces will air weekly on BBC One from Monday 4 January at 9pm. The series will then be available to stream in full on BBC iPlayer.

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