From the makers of Line of Duty, Vigil

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Vigil

(BBC1, 9pm)

After keeping us hooked for weeks (or years, if you also include the previous runs), the season six finale of Line of Duty got a bit of a mixed reaction from critics and viewers – and that’s putting it mildly.

However, it did provide us with a tantalising glimpse of its potential successor, the next big Sunday night drama that would keep us all hooked, in the form of a trailer for Vigil.

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Amy Silva arrives on the submarineAmy Silva arrives on the submarine
Amy Silva arrives on the submarine

If the teaser hasn’t already reeled you in, Vigil also has the sort of pedigree that should get audiences tuning in.

It’s from the production company that brought us Line of Duty, The Pembrokeshire Murders and Bodyguard, and stars Suranne Jones, who has built up an impressive reputation as one of British TV’s most reliable leading ladies in series including Doctor Foster and Gentleman Jack.

The supporting cast is equally impressive, with Game of Thrones’ Rose Leslie, Shaun ‘Endeavour’ Evans, Peep Show’s Paterson Joseph and Line of Duty’s very own Martin Compston. And then there’s the setting and premise, as a death brings the police into conflict with the Navy and British security services, and takes the cops and the audience on board a nuclear submarine.

As writer Tom Edge, whose previous credits include the Oscar-winning Judy and TV detective drama Strike, points out that its largely unknow territory. He says: “The ‘Continuous at Sea Deterrent’, better known as ‘Trident’, has been a contentious part of national life for half a century now, a stock of nuclear missiles kept hundreds of feet below the sea surface. But this world has rarely been explored on screen.

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“I can’t wait to take a BBC1 audience down with us, into the pitch-black icy waters of the unseen Atlantic, where tomorrow’s geopolitical struggles are already being played out.”

We’ll be submerged into the drama tonight as a crew member is found dead of a suspected accidental overdose aboard the Trident nuclear submarine HMS Vigil.

The Scottish police are called in to investigate, but as the UK’s nuclear deterrent must remain unbroken, the submarine won’t be docking. Instead, it will remain on patrol while Detective Chief Inspector Amy Silva (Suranne Jones) goes on board. She suspects foul play, but as the crew starts to close ranks, will she be able to get to the bottom of the case?

Suranne is certainly raring to get going, saying: “Tom Edge has created a thrill of a story, set in a world I knew nothing about. The cast and crew World Productions have put together to tell this story is so exciting.

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“Amy Silva is a brilliantly complex character, thrown into a highly charged situation where her authority is weakened. We watch as she navigates her own personal trauma and loss, all at a time when she’s questioning her relationships.”

If you’re already gripped, the second instalment in the six-part series can be seen on Monday, as Kirsten (Rose Leslie) uncovers evidence of a feud among the crewmates, leaving Amy wondering if her investigation been deliberately obstructed. Meanwhile, back on land, a tragedy is unfolding.

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