Suspects (Channel 5 2014, Damien Molony, Fay Ripley)

Crime drama series Suspects follows a trio of detectives, Detective Inspector Bellamy, Detective Sergeant Jack Weston and Detective Constable Charlie Steele, as they investigate crimes of a mostly serious nature in London.

The seasons were short run ones of 4 episodes and the fifth one sees an opening out of the cast with several new members to the team not least D.I. Daniel Drummond who replaces Bellamy. Fay Ripley who plays Bellamy had committed to a new run of Cold Feet and was unavailable. The producers elected to kill off the character and make the hunt for her killer the opening plot line of the fifth season.

Suspects is quite unusual in the fact for a crime drama series in that pretty much all of the dialogue is improvised with the cast working from a detailed storyline. The series is also filmed pretty quickly with each episode taking around two and a half days to film.

The station used in the series used to the London Electricity Building and is also seen in the ITV sitcom The Job Lot. Suspects was also Channel 5’s first original drama series for eight years.

production details
UK / Channel 5 – Newman Street / 17×45 minute episodes / Broadcast from 12 February 2014

Creators: Darren Fairhurst, Steve Hughes, Paul Marquess / Producers: Mary Hare, Kara Manley, Paul Maquess

cast
Damien Molony as D.S. Jack Weston
Clare-Hope Ashitey as D.C. Charlotte “Charlie” Steele
Fay Ripley as D.I. Martha Bellamy (- series 4)
James Murray as D.C.I. Daniel Drummond (From Series 5)
Lenora Crichlow as D.S. Alisha Brooks (From Series 5)
Perry Fitzpatrick as T.D.C. Gary Roscoe (From Series 5)
Tony Paul West as D.C.I. Emmett Hughes (From Series 5)