The new Keeping Faith: Mudtown is the “sensational” Welsh crime drama with stars of The Crown and Broadchurch

Mudtown is creating a buzz as one of the most exciting and unique crime dramas to hit our screens - and we love it! The Welsh crime series, which we're calling the new Keeping Faith (wait until you hear the details) and will arrive on U&Alibi soon, delivers a sensational new twist on the genre and has everything you could hope for - a complex web of crime, personal turmoil and plot twists that will keep you glued to your screen.

Mudtown centres around the gritty, high-stakes world at Newport’s Magistrates Court where experienced Magistrate Claire Lewis Jones, played by Erin Richards, faces a series of moral dilemmas when her past catches up with her. And, if the plot along isn't enough, the series features an all-star cast including Tom Cullen and Matthew Gravelle.

Tom Cullen in Mudtown

Not only is it the latest Welsh drama to win a legion of fans, but one of the writers of Mudtown, actress Hannah Daniel (Holby City, Eastenders) actually starred in Keeping Faith. Hannah is one half of the Welsh writing duo, alongside Georgia Lee (Destination) a real-life Magistrate in south London, who created the six-part series for U&Alibi and S4C. The pair spent hours sitting in the public gallery of Newport Magistrates Court for their research. And we think all their hard work has paid off.

Ahead of Mudtown's arrival on our screens, here's everything you need to know about it, including the plot, cast and how to watch it.

What is Mudtown about?

What do you do when your job to uphold the law and protect the community is at odds with your personal life and the decisions your children make? And how much more difficult is that when your own past is coming back to haunt you? These are just two of the dramatic dilemmas facing Magistrate Claire Lewis Jones in the Mudtown plotline that will thrill, chill and leave you wanting more.

Matthew Gravelle in Mudtown

Mudtown follows experienced Magistrate Claire Lewis Jones as she faces personal turmoil while presiding over cases at Newport Magistrates Court. When Ned Humphries, a childhood friend of Claire’s daughter Beca, faces arson charges, Claire's loyalty to her community is put to the test.

Matters are made worse when local criminal kingpin Saint Pete appears on the scene. Claire and Saint Pete go back a long way - will her past come back to threaten her present? As she delves deeper into the case, and suspicions grow around her daughter's new bad-boy boyfriend, Sonny Higgins, Claire uncovers a web of criminal activity that could put her and her family at risk.

As the truth emerges and consequences unfold, Claire must confront her own biases and decisions. The lines between right and wrong become blurred, leaving Claire in muddy waters as her maternal instincts clash with her commitment to uphold the law.

Who’s starring in Mudtown?

Mudtown features a stellar cast. At the helm of the gripping crime story, we have Erin Richards, who we know from Gotham and The Crown. She plays Claire Lewis Jones, the Magistrate caught in a whirlwind of crime and personal challenges. The all-star cast also features:

• Tom Cullen (Downton Abbey, Becoming Elizabeth) as Saint Pete
• Matthew Gravelle (Broadchurch, Steeltown Murders) as Alun Lewis Jones
• Lauren Morais (The Red King) as Beca Lewis Jones
• Lloyd Meredith (The Red King, Gran Turismo) as Sonny Higgins
• Kimberly Nixon (The Salisbury Poisonings) as Sara Humphries
• Sion Pritchard (Pila Pala, The Indian Doctor) as Davey Johns
• Ifan Huw Dafydd (The Light in the Hall, Requiem) as Owen Williams.

Is Mudtown any good?

Mudtown is being hailed by its many fans as breaking the crime drama mould with its gritty storyline and top-notch acting from an all-star cast. The series creators, Hannah Daniel and Georgia Lee, are being credited by critics as having produced some of the best writing in television.

“I’m thrilled that we get to bring Hannah and Georgia’s razor-sharp scripts to life in a way that will make our audiences laugh, cry, gasp and stay on the edge of their seats” says Helen Perry, head of drama for UKTV, who commissioned the drama. “The characters are colourful, the crimes are complex, the twists are non-stop, and the whole show is shot through with wit. This series will give our Alibi audiences a very different type of legal drama and I can’t wait to introduce them to it.”

How can I watch Mudtown?

While we don't yet have a confirmed release date for Mudtown, we do know that it will air on U&Alibi later this year. The Welsh version (known as Ar y Ffin) aired last year on S4C, S4C Clic and on BBC iPlayer with English sub-titles.