BBC One drama Dublin Murders' eery first episode culminated in the grim discovery of the body of a missing child, followed by the family's unsettling reaction to the murder of their daughter.
Actress Sarah Greene, who plays Detective Cassie Maddox, said that the shocking scene was handled sensitively by writer Sarah Phelps, and added that they also had a former police officer on set to advise them too.
Related: Dublin Murders – What does *that* moment mean for the show?
The series is adapted from Tana French's acclaimed series of crime novels, and follows Maddox and colleague Rob Reilly (Killian Scott) as they investigate the murder of aspiring ballerina Katy Devlin (Amy Macken). It's soon uncovered that Reilly has a connection to the crime, which sees him veer into self-destruction.
In the episode, the detectives are called to the scene in dense woodland where the child's body is lying across a raised altar.
"I think it is shocking to see a child dead on screen 100%, I don't think it happens that often," Greene told Digital Spy.
What to Read Next
"I don't know the last time I saw a dead child on television. And [the production team] were very sensitive about it, including what to shoot and what not to shoot to avoid it being exploitative. I think the scene is crucial for you to get hooked into finding out who did this."
Scott added: "Sarah [Phelps] is a master of 'less is more'. The positions of the cameras [were handled well] and there was a dummy made up based on [actress] Amy. And when you see how it's compounded with scenes of our characters talking to the family, then it really hits a particular note.
"You do need to desensitise yourself. We had a former detective on set with us most days and he would give us great tips of what we should do in certain scenes. For example, before you walk into seeing a dead body you take a deep breath. They have to study the body and that's really hard to de-compartmentalise."
The stars also revealed that in the scene where they're informing the family about the death of their child, as detectives they would also be analysing the family's every move because they would be prime suspects of the murder.
"You're studying them – you're giving this news but you're also analysing every single breath they take, the way they speak, their interactions with each other, how they look at each other, because they're suspects," Greene continued.
"He [the ex-detective] said you'd be watching for any signs of guilt. It's so bleak. You're giving them life-changing news but also having to scrutinise them."
Dublin Murders continues tomorrow night (Tuesday, October 15) on BBC One at 9pm.
Digital Spy is launching a newsletter – sign up to get it sent straight to your inbox.
Want up-to-the-minute entertainment news and features? Just hit 'Like' on our Digital Spy Facebook page and 'Follow' on our @digitalspy Instagram and Twitter accounts.
Naomi Gordon is news writer mainly covering entertainment news with a focus on celebrity interviews and television.
