McDonald & Dodds season 4 finally gets ITV release date

McDonald & Dodds season 4 has at last been given a release date by ITV. The new series of the hit crime show, starring Tala Gouveia and Jason Watkins, will start on Sunday, July 21 at 8 pm on ITV1.

The three-part series of two-hour films once again follows the unlikely cop duo of Tala Gouveia as DCI Lauren McDonald and Jason Watkins as DS Dodds. McDonald was initially skeptical of the detecting skills of Dodds, but over time a mutual respect has grown between the pair.

Returning to the cast are Claire Skinner (Outnumbered) who plays Chief Superintendent Ormond and Charlie Chambers (EastEnders) who plays DC Goldie. Bhavik C. Pankhania (World On Fire) joins the lineup as DC Lee.

Meanwhile, a string of top guest stars will feature in the first episode including Toby Stephens (Lost In Space), singer/songwriter Pixie Lott (The Voice Kids), Lydia Leonard (Gentleman Jack), Daniel Lapaine (Catastrophe), Dipo Ola (Landscapers), John Gordon Sinclair (Gregory’s Girl) and Ace Bhatti (Line of Duty). The first film is written by Robert Murphy and directed by Khurrum M. Sultan.

Describing Dodds, Jason Watkins once told us: "There is a bit more of Jason in Dodds than I would probably admit. That's one of the reasons I like playing him really. I mean, how much of an alpha male am I? You could say I hide behind characters in my work, just as Dodds hides behind his work. Also, like Dodds, I don't like confrontation, so we share that characteristic. I only get confrontational under extreme stress — like homeschooling perhaps!"

McDonald & Dodds has been a decent hit for ITV, with the first series pulling in over six million viewers.

The series was once again shot in Bath. Strangely for a UK-made show the new series was first released in the US rather than in the UK. It's available on BritBox in the US. Check out our best ITV dramas piece for more shows to enjoy.