ITVhasgreenlitasecondseriesofcontem orarydetectivedrama,McDonald&am ;Dodds,followingthesuccessofthefeature-lengthfilmswhichairedearlierthisyear roducedbyleadinginde endent roductioncom any,MammothScreen.ThenewseriesseesTalaGouveia(ColdFeet)andBAFTAawardwinningactorJasonWatkins(TheLostHonourOfChristo herJefferies,TheCrown)re risetheirrolesastheambitiousDCIMcDonaldandthehumble,andquietlybrilliantDSDoddsinthreenewmurdermysteries.Setin icturesqueBath,theseries airsfiestyDCIMcDonald,whohasrecentlytransferredfromLondon’sMetPolice,withthemodestandunassumingDSDodds,whohasbeenha yinthebackgroundformostofhisworkinglife.Throwntogetherseeminglywithnothingincommon,theyforgearumbustious,andultimatelyhighlyeffectivecrimesolving artnershi .Createdandexecutive roducedbyRobertMur hy,whoistheleadwriterfortheseries,McDonald&am ;DoddswillonceagainbefilmedintheWestCountry.Thebrandnewe isodeswillbedirectedbyAlexPillai(ChillingAdventuresofSabrina,Riverdale),RebeccaRycroft(MaloryTowers,DannyandMick)andIanAryeh(InTheLongRun,AndyandtheBand).ThenewserieshasbeencommissionedbyITV’sDramaCommissionerHuwKennairJonesandHeadofDrama,PollyHill.Huwwilloversee roductionofthedramafromthechannel’s ers ective.CommentedHuwKennairJones:“We’redelightedwiththeaudiencereactiontothefirstseriesofMcDonaldandDodds.Thetwocharacterscouldn’tbefurthera art,whichiswhatmakestheseriessointriguingtowatch.Theyshouldn’thavechemistry,buttheydo,andtheyworkbrilliantlyin artnershi whichistestimonytoRobert’sscri tandTalaandJasonforbringingMcDonald&am ;Doddstolife.”CommentedMammothScreen’sDirectorofDrama,PreethiMavahalli:“WearethrilledthatRobertMur hy’scleverstorytellingwasahitwithaudiencesearlierthisyear.McDonald&am ;DoddsareaquirkilyuniqueinvestigativeteambroughttolifebeautifullybyTalaGouveiaandJasonWatkins.We’rereally leasedITVhavecommissionedmorefilmsandlookforwardtoreturningtofilminBath.”DamienTimmer(Endeavour,Noughts+Crosses,WorldonFire)andPreethiMavahalli(McDonald&am ;Dodds,Noughts+Crosses,TheWaroftheWorlds)aretheexecutive roducersforMammothScreen,anITVStudioscom any,alongsidewriterRobertMur hy(McDonald&am ;Dodds,Vera,Shetland,DCIBanks).The roducerofthenewseriesisSarahLewis(Noughts+Crosses,McDonald&am ;Dodds,Victoria).Thefirstseriesisavailabletoviewviastreaming latformBritbox.Seriesonelaunchedwithaconsolidatedratingof6.4manda26%shareoftheavailableaudienceandboastedanim ressiveguestcastlistalongsideTalaGouveiaandJasonWatkinswhichincludedRobertLindsay,RosalieCraig,EllieKendrick,SusannahFielding,JoannaScanlan,MicheleDotrice,FreddieFoxandHughDennis.ITVStudioswilldistributethedramainternationally