Under Salt Marsh is where something deadly resides…
But enough of the crap in the sea from British water companies under privatised Tory rule, because the body of a young boy has been found, and everyone has a look of constant anguish and depression, like they’ve just been told that Jeremy Vine is coming to their house for dinner.
It’s trope after trope in this, as the band is brought back together for former cop Jackie Ellis (Kelly Reilly – A Haunting In Venice) and current cop Eric Bull (Rafe Spall – William Tell 2025), once partners on the force, who clearly got on each other’s tits, but of course, they’ll have to work together to solve this mystery.
“Gritty BAFTA… Gritty BAFTA… Gritty BAFTA…” – yes, it’s one of those achingly-slow-moving series where people scream through gritted teeth, and amongst all the nothing that happens, there’s slow-zooms on people whenever they talk… or just stand there. Or do anything. Whenever the two series directors feel like it.
Naturally, no spoilers, but as this dragged on, I didn’t really care who did the deed. There are other crimes that will almost certainly go unsolved. Amongst the criticism that most of the actors are English, when the drama is set in Wales, first up in that Spall’s apparent Brummy accent, which was complete nonsense; and despite being Welsh by birth, Jonathan Pryce (The Thursday Murder Club) still manages the most OTT accent from his own country, same as Pierce Brosnan’s supposed Oirish tone in Giant.
Under Salt Marsh begins on Sky Atlantic from tomorrow.
It’s not yet available to pre-order on Blu-ray or DVD, but when it is, it will be listed on the New DVD, Blu-ray, 3D and 4K releases UK page.
Cert: 
Running time: 50-60 minutes per episode (6 episodes)
Release date: January 30th 2026
Studio: Sky Atlantic
Format: 2.39:1
Series Directors: Claire Oakley, Mary Nighy
Producers: Scott Bassett, Emma Duffy
Writer/Creator: Claire Oakley
Music: Suvi-Eeva Äikäs, Ben Salisbury
Cast:
Jackie Ellis: Kelly Reilly
Detective Eric Bull: Rafe Spall
Solomon Bevan: Jonathan Pryce
Jess Deng: Naomi Yang
Dylan Rees: Harry Lawtey
Owen Ells: William Thomas
Nessa: Amara Atwal
Izzie Bevan: Irys Bea Williams
James Rees: Osian Emlyn
Brooke Bevan: Bella Salisbury
Gareth Morgan: Dino Fetscher
Osian Northam: Julian Lewis Jones
Spider Islander: Nigel James Bradley
Harry Bevan: Jonah James
Lydia: India Mullen
Ira Tamen: Seeta Indrani
Devnand Taman: Maanuv Thiara
Tess Bevan: Lois Meleri Jones
Stuart: Jack Taruschio Thomas
Nick: Lucas Barnett
Cefin Hill: Jack Thomas-Humphreys
Victor Antonov: Dritan Kastrapi
Carys Northam: Marilyn Cutts
Danny Hill: Mark Stanley
Shell Hill: Kimberley Nixon
Kirsty Splendour: Rachel Lumberg
Reviewer of movies, videogames and music since 1994. Aortic valve operation survivor from the same year. Running DVDfever.co.uk since 2000. Nobel Peace Prize winner 2021.