The Pact: when is BBC thriller series on TV, who’s in the cast, where was it filmed - and is there a trailer?

Fans of Line of Duty, Keeping Faith and The Bloodlands could be in for a treat, as the BBC is set to release its latest thriller-drama, The Pact.

With a critically acclaimed cast full of familiar faces from British television, the series is set to send viewers on a rollercoaster of suspense, suspicion and intrigue.

The trailer was released by BBC Wales on 7 May, and we already can’t wait to draw up our own theories about what happened, when a brewery boss is found dead.

So, what can you expect from The Pact, who is in the cast and when is it on TV? This is what you need to know.

What is The Pact about?

The BBC have been vague about the storyline of The Pact, which centres around a suspicious, mysterious death and the secrets of the events leading up to it.

The death of a brewery boss leaves the community in shock, as police seek to establish what his employees knew or didn’t know about the body found in the woods.

Writer and creator of the series, Pete McTighe (Doctor Who, Discovery of the Witches) said of the series: “The Pact is a show that explores secrets and their consequences, and examines the fragile nature of trust, through the prism of a complex, relatable friendship group.

“Yes, it’s a thriller, with big twists and surprises, but first and foremost it’s a character piece - so it was important to me to take time to drill down into each of our key characters and properly explore the impact of a terrible moral dilemma on each one.”

Who stars in the cast?

The four colleagues and main characters are Anna (Laura Fraser), Nancy (Julie Hesmondhalgh), Louie (Eiry Thomas) and Cat (Heledd Gwynn).

Scottish actress Fraser is best known for her lead in Breaking Bad, as well as the BBC’s Traces (2013) and The Missing.

Hesmondhalgh famously played Hayley Cropper in ITV’s Coronation Street for 16 years, since starring in The Trouble with Maggie Cole and Broadchurch.

Welsh actress Thomas recently starred in Keeping Faith, as well as being well-known for her roles in The Bench (2001), Torchwood (2006) and Rillington Place (2016).

Gwynn is best known for her performances in Welsh-based dramas 35 Diwrnod (2014), Gwaith/Cartref (2011) and her roles in Traces (2013).

The series also features Eddie Marsan (Ray Donnovan), Mark Lewis-Jones (The Crown), Adrian Edmondson (Save Me), Gabrielle Creevy (In My Skin) and Aled Ap Steffan (Gangs Of London).

What happens in the trailer?

The trailer gives a sneak preview of what can be expected - Nancy tells the pact to stick together, while Anna’s husband is a police officer and involved in the case.

While it is not made clear who Nancy is addressing, she also tells one of her friends “we all do things we regret.”

Other scenes show the four women being investigated and interrogated by officers.

When is the series set?

McTighe said it was important to him and the other creatives who wrote the series that it was based in a “progressive world, with well-rounded characters who aren’t defined by their gender, race, class or sexuality”.

He also wanted to provide viewers with a sense of escapism from the realities of the Covid crisis, but did not want to ignore the past year either.

Therefore, the series is set in a post-vaccination society where the stresses of the pandemic are still felt but the imminent threat of infection is not present.

McTighe said the pandemic “has cast a psychological shadow that informs some of their [the characters] behaviour and decisions.”

The show was filmed in Wales throughout the autumn and winter of 2020, with cast and crew working under strict safety protocols”.

Where can I watch The Pact?

Episode one of The Pact airs on BBC One on Monday 17 May at 9pm.

The subsequent five episodes will air weekly, on Sundays at 9pm. Viewers can also catch up on demand, on the BBC iPlayer.