Traces season 2: release date of forensics drama, who is in cast with Martin Compston, what channel is it on?

Alibi’s forensics drama is returning for a second series
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Traces, Alibi’s crime drama with a forensics focus, is returning for Season 2 on Tuesday 15 February.

The series, which stars Martin Compston, gained a dedicated following when it aired on BBC One at the start of the pandemic.

Here’s everything you need to know about Traces Season 2.

What is it about?

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Traces is about a group of forensics investigators working with the police to solve crimes. Series 1 saw the team working on an unsolved cold case with a personal connection, while Series 2 sees them reunite to find the culprit behind a bombing campaign.

Series 2 will also see one of the team’s father’s tried for murder, after he was arrested at the end of Series 1.

Who is in the cast?

Molly Windsor stars as Emma Hedges, a lad technician who pursued forensics after the murder of her mother. Windsor is best known for her role in Three Girls.

Windsor is joined by Laura Fraser, who plays Emma’s boss Professor Gordon. Fraser is best known for her role in Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul as Lydia Rodarte-Quayle.

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Jennifer Spence plays Professor Kathy Torrence, another of Emma’s colleagues. Spence is best known for science fiction roles in Continuum and Stargate Universe.

Martin Compston stars as Daniel MacAfee, love interest to Windsor’s character Hedges. You’ll recognise Compston from his roles in Vigil and The Nest, and of course he’s best known as Steve Arnott in Line of Duty. He can next be seen in Amazon series The Rig.

The series is based on an original idea from best-selling crime writer Val McDermid, though it is written by actor/writer Amelia Bullmore, who has previously written a number of episodes of Scott and Bailey.

When is it on and how can I watch it?

Traces Season 2 begins on Alibi on Tuesday 15 February at 9pm. It continues weekly after that.

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You can find Alibi on Sky on Channel 132, on Virgin on channel 126, and on TalkTalk channel 312. It’s not currently available via Freeview.

You’ll also be able to find the series on UKTVplayer online.

Will it be available on BBC One?

At the moment, we don’t know if Traces will be available to watch on BBC One or BBC iPlayer, as the first series was, but we’ll update this piece with any information as soon as it’s announced.

Where is it filmed?

Traces is filmed in and around Bolton, which is in the North of England. It’s not set in Bolton, however – Traces is actually set in Dundee.

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Earlier this year, Corporation Street and Derby Street in central Bolton were taken over by the Traces production team, who dressed the area to look as though a bomb had gone off.

How many episodes is Traces Season 2?

Traces Season 2 will be six episodes long, just like the first series.

Why should I watch it?

It’s one to check out if you’re a fan of Martin Compston.

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