New ITV detective series Ridley starring Line of Duty's Adrian Dunbar was filmed across Lancashire and Yorkshire

ITV drama Ridley, stars Adrian Dunbar in the title role as the retired detective, who is now working as a consultant, resuming his partnership with former protégée, DI Carol Farman, played by Bronagh Waugh (Unforgotten, The Fall), who is now in charge of investigations.

Written and created by Paul Matthew Thompson, one of the lead writers of ITV’s iconic detective drama Vera, it’s and filmed across Northern England – largely Lancashire and Yorkshire.

The cast also includes Terence Maynard (Time, Coronation Street) as DCI Paul Goodwin, George Bukhari (Years and Years, The A Word) as DC Darren Lakhan, Georgie Glen (The Crown, Call the Midwife) as pathologist Dr Wendy Newstone. The regular cast also includes Bhavna Limbachia (Citizen Khan, Coronation Street), Aidan McArdle (The Trial of Christine Keeler, The Fall) and Julie Graham (Shetland, Penance).

Amongst the locations used were the Todmorden Wind Farm on the Lancashire/Yorkshire border, as well as the local canal for a scene in episode three. There were also scenes shot in Bolton on Le Mans Crescent.

The series will introduce us to charismatic Detective Inspector Alex Ridley, who has retired from the police after years of dedicated service. Ridley’s replacement is DI Carol Farman (Waugh), his former protégée whom Ridley mentored for many years. When he's enlisted by Carol as a police consultant on a complex and compelling murder case, the investigation takes a dark and unexpected turn.

Inspired by real life retired detectives re-joining police forces in a consultancy role given increasingly over-stretched resources, Ridley will explore thought provoking crime stories in an original and distinctive way.

Adrian Dunbar said: “There were some really interesting areas that we went to, and some beautiful places as well. We filmed in the winter, so it was cold, and it was bleak. But all those things will add to the atmosphere of the piece."

Bronagh Waugh added: “We’ve got this wonderful and diverse core team and set against the backdrop of this stunning Yorkshire and Lancashire vista makes it a very different show. It’s very rural. It feels like a small village or town, and that’s what sets it apart. It’s not trying to be a gritty city drama. And with that dramatic landscape, and with the beautiful job that our DOP Tony Coldwell did, it gives a bit of a northern noir feel. It kind of harks towards the Scandi noir stuff, but it has a unique flavour of being set in the north of England. So there is that toughness and that hardiness that you get there, but with the wonderful warmth, that you get in the north of England.

Jonathan Fisher of West Road Pictures says: “We’re very proud to be bringing Ridley to the screen. A huge amount of work goes into originating a series of this nature, and we’ve been fortunate to work with an incredibly collaborative and dedicated team. It’s been a joy working closely with Adrian Dunbar on this project. Adrian has brought a real passion and authenticity to the eponymous role, alongside a talented and diverse ensemble of supporting characters. We all very much hope that Ridley will join the canon of well-loved TV detectives.”