Traces (TV series)
Three female forensic professionals uncover a murder case in Dundee.
Traces is a British crime drama from Red Production Company, a StudioCanal subsidiary. The series was co-created by Val McDermid and Amelia Bullmore, based on an idea from McDermid, and first aired on Alibi on 9 December 2019. It follows three female forensic experts—Emma Hedges, Sarah Gordon, and Kathy Torrance—who work together at the fictional Scottish Institute of Forensic Science and Anatomy (SIFA), located at the fictional University of Tayside in Dundee. Their investigation uncovers the truth behind a murder and leads to a conviction.
- Premiered
- 9 December 2019
- Network
- Alibi
- Creator(s)
- Val McDermid and Amelia Bullmore
- Genre
- Crime drama
- Setting
- Dundee, Scotland
- Number of series
- 2
- Production company
- Red Production Company (a StudioCanal company)
Lore & Background
Traces centers on Emma Hedges, a laboratory technician who returns to her birthplace of Dundee for a new job and to seek answers about her mother's unsolved murder. She works alongside Professor Sarah Gordon and Professor Kathy Torrence at the fictional Scottish Institute of Forensic Science and Anatomy. The first series aired on Alibi in December 2019 and was later rerun on BBC One in January 2021 and on Drama in January 2022.
Reader's Guide
Traces represents a collaboration between acclaimed crime writer Val McDermid and actress-writer Amelia Bullmore, bringing a female-led forensic team to British television. The series was filmed primarily in Bolton despite being set in Dundee. Critical reception was mixed: The Guardian rated it three out of five, noting the show's talent but suggesting it reflected a lack of new programming, while The Times gave it two out of five, criticizing a lack of flavor. A second six-episode series was released in February 2022 and shown on BBC One from 30 March 2024.
Did You Know?
- The theme tune is a cover of Nina Simone's 'Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood' by Valerie Broussard.
- The series was rerun on BBC One on 4 January 2021.
- The cast includes Martin Compston as Daniel MacAfee, a construction company director.
- The fictional institute is called the Scottish Institute of Forensic Science and Anatomy (SIFA).
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