Kelly Reilly’s “thrilling Welsh crime drama” hailed “the best thing on TV” achieves huge milestone

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Kelly Reilly’s new Welsh crime drama, Under Salt Marsh, has become Sky’s most popular original drama, surpassing The Day of the Jackal. The six-episode thriller, also featuring Rafe Spall and starring Reilly (known for Yellowstone), attracted 1.8 million viewers in its first week, beginning January 30th.

Described as a “thrilling” and “gripping” drama by The Guardian, Under Salt Marsh has received wide critical praise, with Vogue also stating that the thriller “could be the best British crime drama in years”. Meanwhile, The Irish News hailed the show as “the best thing on TV right now”.

The story of Under Salt Marsh unfolds during a rare and powerful storm. It centers on Jackie Ellis, a former detective now teaching, who uncovers a disturbing clue that revives a three-year-old unsolved case – a case that previously destroyed her career and fractured her family’s trust.

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Jackie unexpectedly teams up again with her former police partner, Eric Bull (Spall), and finds herself investigating a case that will deeply impact the town of Morfa Halen.

I’m really glad everyone’s loving Under Salt Marsh! As someone who’s been watching, it’s totally deserved. Sky’s Meghan Lyvers said they’re thrilled with how people have reacted – apparently, the characters, the creepy atmosphere, and especially Kelly Reilly and Rafe Spall’s acting have really grabbed viewers from the start. I definitely agree – I was hooked after the first episode!

Lyvers praised the show’s success, attributing it to the creative vision, skill, and hard work of Claire Oakley, who served as the creator, lead writer, and director. He also highlighted the strong performances of the cast, the support of Little Door Productions, and the dedication of the entire production team.

Oakley shared the same feelings, saying she was delighted the series connected with so many viewers as a story about people coming together during difficult times.

I recently read an interview with Timothy Spall on Digital Spy, and he talked about how challenging the role was for him. He explained that when he gets a script, he can pretty quickly tell if it’s a part he’s suited for or not – if it feels natural for him to play, or if it’s something completely outside his comfort zone.

Bull was unlike any character I’d played before. It didn’t feel like an internal extension of myself, and that’s what initially drew me to the part, he explained.

We’re often drawn to things that feel effortless, but also to challenges we have to work for. This particular opportunity felt like the latter – I knew immediately it was something I wanted to pursue, even though it wouldn’t be easy.

“Especially because [Reilly] was involved, it was a non-brainer.”

Under Salt Marsh is available to watch on Sky and NOW.

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2026-02-12 19:21