Robson Green, Liz White and The Northumbria Mysteries cast reveal all about the detective drama set in the glorious Northumberland countryside

The Northumbria Mysteries is a brand-new detective drama series commissioned by BBC Daytime for BBC iPlayer and BBC One.   

Coming this October, set in the glorious Northumberland countryside, at the heart of the show is an unlikely crime-solving duo, ex-con Joe Ruby (Robson Green) and Oxford-educated DI Rose O’Connell (Liz White).

Rose is an intellectual with an ice-cool disposition, Joe meanwhile has been on the wrong side of the law for much of his life but is now trying to make amends and move to the right side.

Joe is a volunteer at a local priory, tending to the grounds, seeking forgiveness, and attempting to start a new life, all under the kind but watchful eye of Father David (Simon Callow). 

However, when the body of one of the monks is found hastily buried in a remote part of the priory grounds, super-smart DI Rose O’Connell and her ‘green’ second-in-command DS Raj Singh (Gurjeet Singh) are sent to investigate. The mysterious circumstances make it a tricky case to solve but when Joe comes up with some unusual insights from his own dodgy past, Rose senses that she might have a useful ally. 

Helen Munson, Commissioning Editor for BBC Daytime comments: “I’m so excited for audiences to see this fantastic new drama from Newcastle based Lonesome Pine. If you like your drama to have a weekly dose of clever mystery and a unique but likeable crime fighting duo at its heart, then The Northumbria Mysteries is your brand-new binge watch. Set along the coastline and in the countryside of beautiful Northumberland, expect murder, intrigue, and a reluctant duo who just can’t help getting in each other’s way.”

Lesley Douglas, Co-founder Lonesome Pine Productions, says: “This series has been a labour of love for everyone at Lonesome Pine.  It has been a privilege to work with Robson, Liz, Simon and Gurjeet on this crime series set in the stunning Northumberland, from Holy Island to Rothbury, and from Bamburgh to Alnwick.  From the moment that Robson uttered his first line as Joe Ruby, we knew we had something special.  The mix of crime, caper and a combination of brilliant actors and characters is hopefully something that the viewers will love as much as we do. The BBC have been truly supportive partners on this, resulting in a shared vision for what is - ‘Northumbria Mysteries’.”

Commissioned for BBC iPlayer and BBC One by Rob Unsworth in his capacity of Head of BBC Daytime and Early Peak Commissioning. The Commissioning Editor is Helen Munson.

The Northumbria Mysteries series is a Lonesome Pine Productions production for BBC iPlayer and BBC One, supported by the North East Production Fund delivered on behalf of the North East Screen Industries Partnership (NESIP) by North East Screen. Banijay Rights handles international distribution for the series.

george@pr-squared.co.uk

Meet The Northumbria Mysteries Cast

Please can you describe your character?

Robson Green: Joe Ruby is a guy seeking redemption. He's a gambler and a risk taker and someone who has always been lured into temptation despite having a good heart and wanting to do the right thing. He's a charmer, but he's fallible and through the choices he has made along the way he has lost everything.

Liz White:  DI Rose O'Connell is an experienced detective who for reasons as yet unshared, has moved to Northumberland and taken a post in the force up there. She believes in an evidence-based approach and is less inclined to act on instant than her younger, less experienced colleague, DS Raj Singh (Gurjeet Singh). She lives alone and, as a way to meet new people in the area, she embarks on a series of unsuccessful dates. Rose is dedicated to her job and has an understated confidence in her ability to reach justice.

Gurjeet Singh: DS Raj Singh is the young detective on the block. He might be lacking in life experience compared to his partner DI Rose O’Connell. But he definitely makes up for it with his love of the job and his enthusiasm. Sometimes a little too enthusiastic. Fuelled by his love of cop films and ambition to rise in the ranks, Raj definitely has the drive to solve the crime. Sometimes he gets things wrong, he’s still to learn a few tricks of the trade but I’d say his puppyish ways also have their advantages and add to the dynamics of Joe, Rose and Raj.

Simon Callow: The Prior, Father David, is a man of great clarity of thought, of compassion and imagination, with a profound inner life into which he tries gently to introduce Joe. With mixed results. 

Did you take inspiration from anyone?

Robson Green: Well I look a lot like him! There was a great series in the 80's called Big Deal with a character called Robby Box played by Ray Brooks - he was a small-time London gambler, I remember that. Paul Newman in The Hustler is amazing - I love how he works and the choices he made as an actor. He's always a real inspiration for me.

Liz White: I suppose I have been subliminally inspired by all the female coppers I have seen over the years. Helen Mirren in Prime Suspect and Anna Carteret as Juliet Bravo stand out. Rose is a grafter and gives the air at least, of being the smartest person in the room. Gordon Anderson, the director of our first block of filming aways used to remind me that Rose was the hero so if I ever had any doubts I would bear that in mind! Getting this role also coincided with my daughter’s developing interest in murder mystery programmes and so I had unknowingly been researching crime dramas for a couple of years. It all came in handy!

Gurjeet Singh: I think the lovely thing about playing Raj is that he takes inspiration from all the great tv and film detectives. I have this image in my head where he gets ready for work in the morning. He looks in the mirror, fixes his tie, puts his Luther jackets on, he’s ready to solve the crime… but his shoes are a bit too big. I love what Aschlin Ditta and the team have created and I’ve really enjoyed building this character with them. There are some similarities with myself. A working class kid from the North who’s building a career and is working his way through the ranks. He’s got a dream. Hopefully the audience can resonate with that. 

Simon Callow: I wasn’t aware of this while we were shooting, but in retrospect I see that I drew on memories of a teacher who profoundly enriched my young life, Nic Frizelle. He taught me French and History and was a man of exceptional clarity of thought, who illuminated everything he ever spoke of. I used to visit him, after school hours, in his house, which was very near the school. Among many other revelations, he introduced me to the music of Mozart and the poetry of Baudelaire. During the war he had been parachuted into France as a member of the resistance; he had impaired hearing as a result, but this only seemed to make his observations clearer and sharper. The school was pretty primitive, slavishly dedicating itself to ensuring that students acquired O and A levels; Nic opened up whole worlds of thought and imagination for me. That’s what I think Father David is trying to do for Joe.

Did you enjoy filming in Northumberland and was there a standout location?

Robson Green: Yes my home! I've never had a job where I could just go back and forth from home before....it was just joyous spending so much time in the local area, it was such a nice familiar vibe. We were wandering around and I thought 'what's the catch' - it was perfect. Did you know Hexham is one of the happiest places to live.

Liz White:Northumberland is staggeringly beautiful. Every single location we visited took my breath away. There was one particular week where we filmed at Bamburgh Castle and Dunstanburgh Castle, one after the other. We were also extremely lucky with the weather. We were shooting a car chase, with Bamburgh in the background. The sun was cracking the flags, the clouds were dramatic landscapes in the sky, the fields of rape were glowing either side of the road. All the crew were local and the pride in where they came from was palpable. It is a beautiful place to film.

Gurjeet Singh: I was blown away by the majestic, natural beauty of the land. And the warming strength of the locals in every part of Northumberland we had the pleasure of visiting. I think the series really shows off just how incredible the natural landmarks are around the North East. I think we forget what we have here in the UK sometimes. Stand out locations have to be standing on the sea floor of Holy Island and watching the sunrise and filming on the turrets of Dunstanburgh Castle. The real joy was having Robson there with his extraordinary knowledge of the land and natural wildlife. Like the North East’s David Attenborough.

Simon Callow: I was a Northumberland virgin when I started work on The Northumbria Mysteries. It was breathtaking to discover the beauty of its landscape and the depth of its history. I stayed in Alnwick, an extraordinary town, the seat of the Duke of Northumberland, whose castle is crammed with historic items, not least an art collection to rival any of the great palaces of Europe.

Was there a highlight?

Robson Green: I particularly enjoyed Bamburgh Castle and Budle Bay. My dad used to have a caravan and we'd go there so it brought back loads of lovely memories.  We'd go swimming in the bay together.  We both liked cold water swimming, I still do. 

Liz White: One of the highlights of filming The Northumbria Mysteries, has to be experiencing the wonderful sights of Northumberland. The horizons are vast and the coastline has white, soft sand with castles almost book ending each beach. The people we met were really special, but particularly the crew, who worked so hard to make the show what it is. The cast were also wonderful. We have incredible guest artists including Paula Wilcox, Cathy Tyson, Julian Rhind-Tutt but it also has to be said that sharing my days with Robson and Gurjeet was an absolute treat. We worked hard and we laughed a lot! 

Gurjeet Singh: There are definitely a few highlights that I could talk about. The show was such a joy to create. From giggling away with the crew, to working with all the wonderful guest stars, touring around the all the beautiful parts of Northumberland, a few bizarre moments that I thought I’d never find myself in, being part of a detective duo. But the real highlight was coming into work with Liz And Robson. I think the amount of fun we had was probably border line unprofessional. Like the naughty kids at the back of the bus crying in laughter. 

Simon Callow: Robson and I had a wonderful scene in the remarkable St George’s church in Jesmond, near Newcastle-upon-Tyne, in which Father David introduces Joe to the beauty of architecture and 16th century choral music.  We were both - Robson and I - terribly moved by it.

Do you enjoy whodunnits and do you have a favourite screen detective duo?

Robson Green: I love puzzles and solving things, like playing cluedo. There used to be a series called Whodunnit on ITV in the 70's - it was like an interactive show where you'd have to guess the motive and the clues and a narrator would go through it.

In terms of detective duos, my favourite were Starsky and Hutch. I met Paul Michael Glaser, who played Starsky, in the Caribbean which was amazing. Like Joe and Rose, they would look out for each other and have each other backs.

Liz White: As mentioned, I have been watching quite few of them over the last couple of years but at the moment I am particularly enjoying Ludwig series 2. David Mitchell is fantastic at riding the line between comedy and drama. I'm thrilled there will be a third series of that.

Gurjeet Singh: I do love a whodunnit! They’re definitely a British institution. And we have so many iconic detective characters and duos. From Luther to Broadchurch, Death in Paradise to Vera. But I think one of my favourites has to be Sherlock and Watson. I loved the Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman Sherlock series. 

Simon Callow: I’m not addicted to them, but I enjoy them, especially 1930’s films like The Thin Man (1934), starring William Powell and Myrna Loy as Nick and Nora Charles. Stylish and fiendishly clever.

george@pr-squared.co.uk

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