Entertainment Extra

2 ENTERTAINMENT EXTRA By Sarah Passingham TV Media T he grey skies of Glasgow's coastline cover an unusually high number of murders at sea in "Annika," the brand-new, Scotland-set police procedural starring "Last Tango in Halifax" actress Nicola Walker as Annika Strandhed. "Annika" premieres on this side of the Atlantic on PBS Masterpiece this fall, begin- ning Sunday, Oct. 16. Check your local listings for your premiere date. A legend among her detective peers, DI Strandhed lands in Glasgow with her teenage daughter, Morgan, portrayed by Silvie Furneaux ("Red Rose"), to head up their newly formed Marine Homicide Unit. Strandhed is quickly partnered with keen new cop DS Tyrone Clarke, played by "Blindspot" star Ukweli Roach, who joins her as she dives into solving murders com- mitted at sea. Having also portrayed the expert detective in the BBC Radio 4 series "Annika Stranded" (this TV series is a continuation of the BBC radio original), Walker is an Annika pro — and passionately possessive of the character. "No one else is playing her," she told Drama Quarterly shortly after wrapping filming on the series. "I know it's another detec- tive and I apologize only for that. No one else was going to be Annika. I would have found that really difficult to let go." It is rare that a performer gets the chance to bring a character to life across different forms of media over nearly a decade — the radio show "Annika Stranded" aired from 2013 to 2020 — and Walker seemed to revel in the chance to carry on in the role. "You put it [Annika's story] on camera and suddenly it just com- pletely opens out," she noted later on in the same interview. "It was a real challenge; I enjoyed it." One thing that really sets "Annika" apart from other police procedurals other than its uniquely specific subject of marine murder is the cheeky humor woven into the series. Annika herself is witty, cracking jokes to break the tension, but the levity doesn't just come from the dialogue, skillfully written by series creator Nick Walker (who also penned "Annika Stranded"), "Holby City" writer Lucia Haynes and "Adam" (2021) writer Frances Poet. In a move that feels like it is referencing the direct-to-audi- ence voice of the radio show, DI Strandhed breaks the fourth wall and speaks directly to the camera while she's sorting things out, whether regarding the details of a murder case or those of her personal life. The move has been popularized in dramedies since it was impec- cably deployed by creator and star Phoebe Waller-Bridge ("Run") in BBC/Prime Video's "Fleabag," a series that was also developed from a more intimate medium, Waller- Bridge's award-winning 2013 one-woman show of the same name. "Annika" also makes use of literary references throughout the series, tying in yet another artistic medium. A news release from PBS Masterpiece notes that DI Strandhed employs a unique base of knowledge for fighting crime: "Annika's strikingly effec- tive MO is to link the crime under investigation to her obses- sive reading of literature and mythology." This is immediately clear given the series premiere's title, "Captain Ahab's Wife," a refer- ence to Herman Melville's 1851 novel "Moby Dick," and fans can be sure that Annika certainly has more literary tricks up her sleeve for the rest of the six-episode season. A new place, a new job, a new school and new people don't come without growing pains for Annika and Morgan, however. To help smooth the transition to Glasgow, Morgan begins visiting a local therapist, Jake Strathearn, portrayed by "Luther" actor Paul McGann. Also a part of the Glasgow package are the rest of the members of Annika's depart- ment, her right-hand man DS Michael McAndrews (Jamie Sives, "Crime") and forensic expert DI Blair Ferguson (Katie Leung, "The Nest"). Sharing a season premiere date with "Annika" on PBS Masterpiece is the smash hit British period detective series "Miss Scarlet and the Duke." Set in Victorian-era London, Eliza Scarlet (Kate Phillips "Peaky Blinders") takes over her father's detective business, becoming London's first female detective. The titular duke, meanwhile, is Scotland Yard Det. William Wellington (Stuart Martin, "Jamestown"), Eliza's longtime friend, who assists with her cases. Debuting its second season the same night as "Annika," "Miss Scarlet and the Duke" left fans with many unanswered questions regarding Eliza's father and the duke, who had become very close with Eliza throughout the mystery series' first season. Schwering Realty 2 x 2" Pear Tree Gallery 3 x 2" On the Cover Silvie Furneaux in "Annika" 'Annika' investigates Glasgow's marine crime Chase Center 3 x 2" American Legion Post 60 2 x 3" Thrifty Muffler 2 x 2.5"

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