James Nesbitt thinks 'Bloodlands' is a different kind of thriller.
James Nesbitt
The 56-year-old actor plays veteran detective DCI Tom Brannick in the new BBC series, but James thinks the show - which is set in Strangford Lough, Northern Ireland - is distinctly different to what audiences might expect.
He explained: "It's a thriller that could be set anywhere, it just happens to be set here.
"It's not really about the Troubles. Certainly they're in the backdrop but it's really about a father and daughter.
"It's about him trying to uncover unanswered questions from the past, but also build a safe future for his daughter going forward."
The four-part drama sees James' character try to track down his wife's killer.
The actor jumped at the chance to make the thriller because he was eager to work with 'Line of Duty' writer Jed Mercurio, who is the series' executive producer.
He told the BBC: "I've wanted to work with him for a long time and we finally found this.
"The writer Chris Brandon is from County Down, he's a new writer and it's a sensational character he's created."
James also feels as though his on-screen character personifies the past and present of Northern Ireland's history.
The 'Cold Feet' star explained: "As a veteran detective Brannick has a foot in both the past and the present.
"He has hope for the future in the potential of his daughter, but he is stopped from moving forward by the resurrection of an assassin myth; a symbol of police collusion in past violence that holds deeply personal significance.
"Tom must cut out the root of this myth in order to have any hope of a peaceful tomorrow.
"He must confront his past to protect the future he prizes above all."
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