River, BBC1: Stellan Skarsgård stars in mental health-driven police drama from Suffragette writer Abi Morgan

Nordic Noir-style drama delves deep into the ‘fractured’ mind of its detective
Stellan Skarsgard stars as John River in new BBC detective drama
BBC/Kudos/Nick Briggs
Ben Travis13 October 2015

The timing of new BBC police drama River is perfect: beginning three days after World Mental Health Day, this is a crime series that primarily delves into the troubled mind of its lead detective, and comes from Abi Morgan, writer of the headline-grabbing new film Suffragette.

The series stars Stellan Skarsgård as detective John River, weighed down with grief after losing his colleague. With a focus beyond the typical ‘whodunit’, Morgan has revealed that writing the show was a way for her to assess her own state of mind.

“I felt that writing this was a way to explore my own mental health,” she told the Radio Times. “I talk to myself all the time – it’s something my children have observed in the car. I’ll often have the argument with the person that I really want to say to their face.

“[With River] I wanted to say, ‘In police departments, in hospitals, in newsrooms, in the banking industry, we have people who are dealing with emotional situations that fracture their minds’ and so that’s what made me start to write this.”

If you want more proof that River isn’t your typical detective drama, just take a look at the role of British actor Eddie Marsan – he plays historical serial killer Thomas Cream, aka the Lambeth Poisoner, who appears to River in sinister visions.

Also appearing in the series is Spooks alumni Nicola Walker, who currently also stars in ITV police drama Unforgotten.

Best TV dramas 2015 - in pictures

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