Bloodlands

Bloodlands - bloody brilliant drama

Photo credit: Acorn TV, used with permission

The best telly doesn’t only happen at the weekend. Starting this Monday, with perfect timing for St. Paddy’s Day, Acorn TV presents a gritty Norn Irish crime thriller from the bloke who brought us Line of Duty and Bodyguard.  Having enjoyed a sneak peek ahead of broadcast (thank you Acorn for the press screening) I can reveal Bloodlands is more of the intense, nail-biting stuff we’ve come to expect from a Jed Mercurio production.

Already a huge hit in the UK, Bloodlands is about to launch in North America as Acorn rolls out new episodes on Mondays (similar to how BritBox is broadcasting current content). 
The four-part drama stars James Nesbitt as Tom Brannick, a veteran detective forced to confront his own dark past when an infamous cold case with enormous personal significance re-emerges. Nesbitt is brilliantly broody and moody, struggling to suppress the pain of the past as he attempts to protect the present.

Photo credit: Acorn TV, used with permission

Set against the dramatic backdrop of the Belfast shipyards and the misty Mourne Mountains, Bloodlands is full of twists and turns, shocks and surprises. Similar to Line of Duty, there are hints at police corruption and a possible fox in the henhouse. In the aftermath of the Good Friday Agreement, the plot echoes back to the turbulent, troubled times in Northern Ireland over 20 years ago. 

I recently read that (in real life) Nesbitt is patron of Belfast’s Wave Trauma Centre and actively campaigns on behalf of the families of the “Disappeared” – 16 people, mostly civilians, who were kidnapped, killed and buried in unmarked graves by paramilitary groups during the Troubles. The stark parallels between this and the (albeit fictional) events in Bloodlands makes this thriller even more poignant and eerie.

Photo credit: Acorn TV, used with permission

 Yes, Bloodlands is grim and gritty, and will keep you guessing till the very end. But this is Ulster, and along with the OMG moments there are even
some LOL moments; to quote hubby,
“Irish sarcasm at its best!”.  
 
If you enjoyed Bodyguard and Line of Duty, you’ll love Bloodlands. 
Thanks to Nesbitt, Mercurio and Acorn TV, I’m actually looking forward to Mondays now. 


BLOODLANDS PREMIERES MONDAY, MARCH 15 ON ACORN TV. New episodes will stream weekly every Monday through April 5.