A Stab In The Dark: A UKTV Original Crime Podcast with Mark Billingham

S2 E6 - In this week’s episode, our man with the spyglass, Paul Hirons, speaks to British writer Sarah Pinborough, who’s written one of the most talked about books of 2017. Recorded at CrimeFest in Bristol, Sarah talks about the jump into the psychological thriller genre, how genres like crime and horror cross-pollinate and the art of the twist. A Stab in the Dark is a UKTV Original production and is produced by Paul Hirons, Joel Porter and John Lemon. For more info: http://uktv.co.uk/astabinthedark

S2 E5 - In this week’s episode of UKTV crime podcast, A Stab In The Dark, host Mark Billingham talks to Sherlock’s Mark Gatiss. In a wide-ranging discussion about his work and career, Mark reveals the contents of his younger self’s dressing up and who has been his favourite character to play, and how a prop from Doctor Who has turned into one of his most prized possessions. He also discusses his love of horror, Agatha Christie and RuPaul’s Drag Race; as well as reveal how he and Steven Moffat came up with the idea for a modern Sherlock, how, because of the success of Wallander, Sherlock became three, ninety-minute episodes rather than six hour-long episodes, Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman’s instant chemistry, and, of course, the show’s future. Plus, our man with the spyglass, Paul Hirons, talks to Murdoch Mysteries' Hélène Joy. A Stab in the Dark is a UKTV Original production and is produced by Paul Hirons, Joel Porter and John Lemon. For more info: http://uktv.co.uk/astabinthedark

S2 E04 - Our man with the spyglass – Paul Hirons – sits down with double CWA Dagger winner, Bill Beverly, to talk about his debut novel, Dodgers. A powerful tale of a teenage gang member based in LA sent to Ohio to do a job, Bill discusses his influences for this exceptional coming-of-age tale and the state of America today. A Stab in the Dark is a UKTV Original production and is produced by Paul Hirons, Joel Porter and John Lemon. For more info: http://uktv.co.uk/astabinthedark

S2 E03 - Two of the biggest names in American crime fiction and crime TV drama join Mark Billingham for the latest episode of UKTV Original podcast, A Stab In The Dark. David Simon is creator of The Wire – regarded as the greatest television drama series of all time – while Laura Lippman is a multi-award-winning crime writer. David and Laura tell us about their wedding (officiated by John Waters), discuss how newspaper journalism has changed over the years, and how the lines between fiction, reality and truth have been blurred in recent years. David, meanwhile, discusses The Wire, which celebrates its 15th anniversary. Plus, Paul Hirons talks to award-winning crime writer, Megan Abbott. A Stab in the Dark is a UKTV Original production and is produced by Paul Hirons, Joel Porter and John Lemon. For more info: http://uktv.co.uk/astabinthedark

S2 E02 - It’s a fiendish trio of award-winning crime writers as Mark Billingham is joined by fellow Crime Novel of the Year winners and best-selling authors Sarah Hilary and Belinda Bauer. They discuss the creation of Sarah’s complex heroine Marnie Rome, Belinda’s unique and vulnerable heroes and settling the matter once and for all of whether the countryside or the city is the most dangerous place for both murder or cheese-related deaths. And with series four about to start on UKTV, our man with spy glass and his ear to the ground, Paul Hirons, gets the scoop on Luther from former head of BBC Drama, Kate Harwood. A Stab in the Dark is a UKTV Original production and is produced by Paul Hirons, Joel Porter and John Lemon. For more info: http://uktv.co.uk/astabinthedark

S2 E01 - Award-winning crime writer Mark Billingham is back to explore the world of crime fiction and TV crime drama in the second series of A Stab In The Dark. In this series opener, Mark talks to another award-winning bestselling crime writer, the legendary Ian Rankin, about the 30th anniversary of his iconic character, DI John Rebus, his career, his most recent Rebus novel and how personal circumstances inspired his work. A Stab in the Dark is a UKTV Original production and is produced by Paul Hirons, Joel Porter and John Lemon. For more info: http://uktv.co.uk/astabinthedark

Series Preview - While our host Mark Billingham (award-winning crime writer) investigates some new leads, our man with the spy glass, Paul Hirons, takes a closer look at the Nature Vs Nuture and the new series Born to Kill. Paul talks to writer Kate Ashfield and star of the series Daniel Mays to try to understand the nuances of portraying a teenage psychopath in a TV series. A Stab in the Dark is a UKTV Original and Dot Dot Dot Production, produced by Paul Hirons, Joel Porter and John Lemon. For more info: http://uktv.co.uk/astabinthedark

Extra episode - While our regular host, award-winning crime writer Mark Billingham limbers up for some brand-new episodes, our man with the spy glass, Paul Hirons, takes a closer look at the Nordic Noir phenomenon. Paul attended Crimefest in Bristol and Iceland Noir in Reykjavik last year, and managed to chat to some of the Nordic region's best-selling crime authors - Yrsa Sigurðardóttir, Lilja Sigurðardóttir and Ragnar Jonasson from Iceland, Anne Holt from Norway, Kati Hiekkapelto from Finland, Denmark's Sara Blædel and honoroury Brit and the co-curator of Iceland Noir, Quentin Bates. In this mini-episode, Paul asks where Nordic Noir comes from and what defines it, and also discovers the links between Scandinavian and Nordic crime fiction and drama with Britain. Mark will be back to host more brand-new episodes of A Stab In The Dark very soon. A Stab in the Dark is a UKTV Original production and is produced by Sam Pearson and Paul Hirons. For more info: http://uktv.co.uk/astabinthedark

Episode 9 - In the final episode of a three-part mini festive special, Mark Billingham is joined by Silent Witness' William Gaminara who played Professor Leo Dalton in the pathology crime drama alongside a couple of stints on the classic long-running police show The Bill. William tells us what it's like having to play expert roles, when the lines blur between these expert roles and real life, and the horror of working with pig organs. Meanwhile, Paul Hirons visits Eric Richard who played Sergeant Bob Cryer in The Bill over 17 years. We hear what it's like to star in the ever-popular series, the thinking behind the iconic show's production and what it was like playing a classic NCO. A Stab in the Dark is a UKTV Original production and is produced by Sam Pearson and Paul Hirons. For more info: http://uktv.co.uk/astabinthedark

Episode 8 - Mark Billingham welcomes Dalziel and Pascoe actor Colin Buchanan into the studio to talk about his time on the long-running crime drama and what it was like to work with co-star and legend of the screen Warren Clarke. Dalziel and Pascoe was adapted from a series of books by novelist Reginald Hill, an author many from the genre hold in very high esteem, and Colin's opinion of the great man is no different. Meanwhile, Paul Hirons chats to Rebus author Ian Rankin about the influence Reginald Hill had on him. A Stab in the Dark is a UKTV Original production and is produced by Sam Pearson, Paul Hirons and John Lemon. For more info: http://uktv.co.uk/astabinthedark