The cosy crime drama The Good Ship Murder is coming back for a fourth season and broadcaster 5 has announced a host of new cast members for the season, including a number of guests and two new major characters.
Now that Catherine Tyldesley is back on Coronation Street, her character Kate Woods (the ship's First Officer) will only appear in the season premiere. In her stead, the show's new main female character is Captain Serena Teller, played by Smack the Pony and EastEnders star Fiona Allen.
As a woman who has had to fight to prove herself and rise up in the male-dominated maritime world, Serena has developed a cold demeanour which has led to her being nicknamed 'The Iceberg' and gaining a reputation for striking fear into those around her.
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However, it's teased that viewers will see her thaw out over the course of the season, even if it's only briefly.
Our other major new character is Eddie Grayling, the smooth-talking silver fox father of Shayne Ward's main character Jack. Played by former Doctor Who lead Peter Davison, Eddie is a former copper — although his style of policing is described as more old-school than his son's methods.
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In terms of guest stars, there's quite a few fellow former EastEnders stars: Richard Blackwood, Ramon Tikaram, and Anita Dobson (herself a big part of recent Doctor Who).
There's also Coronation Street's Debra Stephenson and Rula Lenska, Silk's Neil Stuke, and actor and Stars in Their Eyes presenter Matthew Kelly.
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"Captain Serena Teller is a character with many layers. She's great fun to play and I've been excited to bring something new to a much-loved series," Allen said.
Davison stated: "Eddie Grayling is a delight to play, and Shayne and I have relished establishing a father and son dynamic in the Good Ship's sleuthing team. Shayne has made fitting in, and filming our many scenes, so easy."
Fans have often compared the show to Death in Paradise, calling it "soapy" and "syrupy", while a certain Gogglebox duo loved to rib on it. Its guilty pleasure nature has made it a big hit for 5.
The Good Ship Murder seasons 1-3 can be streamed on 5.
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Joe Anderton is a freelance news writer at Digital Spy, having worked there since 2016. In his time, he's covered a host of live events and interviewed celebrities big and small. A big fan of TV and movies both mainstream and obscure, Joe also enjoys video games and in particular PlayStation. Joe currently does not use Twitter, but he only ever used it to tell people to watch the film Help! I'm a Fish.
