New True Detective-style crime thriller show sets release date

Starring a great Irish actress and from the director of Blue Lights, the show will be coming to screens very soon.

Donnelly plays Monica Kennedy, a police detective with a dark past working in the breathtaking Scottish countryside. Her rural community is rocked when the body of a young man is found eerily staged in the wilderness.

"As paranoia rises, suspicions and secrets are forced into the light, and the locals start to realise that there is a serial killer hidden amongst them," the plot synopsis adds.

"With her experience of dealing with the darkest of humanity, Kennedy quickly becomes entangled in a heightened game of cat and mouse with a cunning killer who wears a pale mask".

It is also directed in part by Gilles Bannier, who helmed the first season of the BBC hit crime drama Blue Lights.

Released in the UK earlier this month, the show is earning positive reviews, with many drawing comparisons between the series and True Detective. Both infuse their serial killer mystery with flecks of gothic horror.

You can read a sample of some of those glowing reviews for The Dark here:

Daily Mail (UK): "For fans of nasty noir, it's as fierce and satisfying as neat malt whisky."

Daily Telegraph (UK): 'It leans more towards horror than police procedural, so is not for those of a nervous disposition. There is no gore, but the tone is horribly creepy."

The Guardian: "A cold finger of dread will run up your spine as you watch this tale of a Highlands murder investigation. It’s stylish, fun and chilling."

Independent (UK): "The Dark doesn’t exactly break the mould, then — but Donnelly does well with her 'brilliant detective with a dark past who does things her way' cookie-cutter character, bringing just the right amount of snark and haunted glare to the role."

Metro.co.uk: "The Dark is True Detective in the Scottish Highlands, with an opening scene that throws us into the wilderness, where a naked corpse has been gruesomely staged... The filming makes the most of the glen’s breathtaking backdrop."

Since ITV1 and ITVX are not available in the Republic of Ireland, we were wondering when we'd be able to watch The Dark.

As such, JOE reached out to Virgin Media Television. The broadcaster confirmed to us that The Dark starts on Thursday, 27 August on Virgin Media Play and Virgin Media One.