Molly Windsor (Three Girls, Cheat), Laura Fraser (The Missing, Breaking Bad) and Jennifer Spence (You Me Her, Travelers) have been set as the leads in Traces, Alibi’s six episode drama series from Val McDermid Amelia Bulimore and Red Production Company.
Traces explores the world of SIFA, the Scottish Institute of Forensic Science, and follows Emma Hedges, Professor Sarah Gordon and Professor Kathy Torrance – who together will use the rigors of forensics to uncover the truth about an unsolved murder case. 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 a MOOC – Massive Online Open 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. As Emma’s sleuthing takes her into darker corners and unpicks more and more secrets, it becomes clear that she should trust no-one. It will be Sarah and Kathy’s exacting minds that reward Emma’s faith in the science that has fuelled her imagination and who will ultimately bring a killer to justice.
Molly Windor plays Emma Hodges; Laura Fraser has been cast as Professor Sarah Gordon; while Jennifer Spence plays Professor Kathy Torrance. Rounding out the cast is Martin Compston (Line Of Duty), Laurie Brett (EastEnders), Vincent Regan (Delicious, The White Princess), Michael Nardone (Shetland, Silent Witness) and John Gordan Sinclair (Marple, Ill Behaviour).
Traces scored a series order at UKTV’s Alibi channel back in February under a co-commissioning model with BBC Studios. It marks Alibi’s first original drama series and is based on an idea by best-selling crime writer Val McDermid. Scott & Bailey creator Amelia Bulimore is penning the scripts for the series, which is being produced by Red Production Company. BBC Studios is handling international sales. The executive producers are Nicola Shindler, Amelia Bulimore, Philippa Collie-Cousins, Martin Rakusen and Val McDermid. Rebecca Gatward and Mary Nighy are attached to direct.
