“Yellowstone” star Kelly Reilly is set to lead a new Sky Original series created by Claire Oakley.
Titled “Under Salt Marsh,” the six-part show is described as a “gripping crime thriller” set in the fictional Welsh town of Morfa Halen, a place caught between towering mountains and a fast-encroaching sea.
Reilly will play detective turned teacher Jackie Ellis.
Oakley (“Make Up’) co-writes, exec produces and lead directos the show, which is produced by Little Door Productions in association with Sky Studios. Jonathan Harbottle and Nikita Lalwani are co-writers while Mary Nighy directs the third and fourth episodes.
“As a once-in-a-generation storm begins to gather far out at sea, former detective turned teacher Jackie Ellis discovers the body of her 8-year-old pupil, Cefin, seemingly drowned,” reads the logline. “The discovery sends shockwaves through the community, reviving the ghost of an unsolved cold case that rocked the town three years prior – the disappearance of Jackie’s niece, Nessa, which cost her career.”
“Cefin’s death summons Jackie’s former partner, Detective Eric Bull, back to Morfa Halen to lead the investigation into a community he failed once before. Convinced the cases are linked, Jackie and Bull must reconcile and race to uncover long-buried secrets inside Morfa, before the storm breaks and all the evidence is gone for good.”
The show will begin filming later this year.
“‘Under Salt Marsh’ is a crime thriller set in a community deeply connected to its environment, and interwoven with the heartache, fears, dreams and secrets of its people,” said Oakley. “At the heart of it all is Jackie, a character who embodies the wildness of the place we’re depicting. She’s free-spirited, compassionate, and determined, with a steely resolve that makes her truly of the land. We’re absolutely thrilled to have Kelly Reilly bringing Jackie to life.”
Scott Bassett is series producer while joining Oakley as executive producers are Elwen Rowlands for Little Door Productions and Megan Spanjian for Sky Studios.
Rowlands, CEO of Little Door, added: “It’s been a pleasure developing this series with the inspirational Claire Oakley. Sky Studios coming onboard has given the show a perfect home and now we have the hugely talented Kelly Reilly taking on the lead role – we couldn’t be happier.”
Meghan Lyvers, executive director of original scripted at Sky Studios U.K. and Ireland, said; “’Under Salt Marsh’ is a uniquely powerful drama which we are incredibly proud to support at Sky Studios. Claire Oakley is an exceptional creative talent who has crafted a deeply emotional and universal story which explores themes of loss, resilience, and community, all whilst pushing the boundaries of the crime thriller genre.”
Kelly Reilly is repped by by CAA & Anonymous Content. Claire Oakley is repped by Lark and UTA.
“Under Salt Marsh” will be available on Sky and streamer Now in the U.K., Ireland, Italy, Germany, Switzerland and Austria. NBCUniversal Global TV Distribution are repping international sales.
