Traces of CSI in New Whodunnit

A new BBC UKTV series that will premiere next month on Sky has been dubbed a “Silent McWitness“.

Traces (9.30 Mondays from September 28) stars Molly Windsor (Cheat, Three Girls) as a technician at the Scottish Institute of Forensic Science and Anatomy who uses her skills to investigate the unsolved murder of her mother 18 years earlier.

“CSI: Tayside or Silent McWitness, anyone?” quipped The Telegraph of the six-part series based on idea by crime novelist Val McDermid that screened on the UK’s Alibi channel.

Traces was a decent attempt at mixing rubber glove-snapping forensic sleuthing with family psychodrama. Unfortunately, it was far too formulaic. How many series must we watch which begin with an attention-grabbing scene, then flash back from it with a “Three days earlier…” caption? Or where everyone hides a dark secret and we trust nobody? Or where the protagonist has fragmented memories of a traumatic incident which will prove crucial?

But the Daily Mail thought it “very good … For fans of police serials where cold cases dredge up ancient secrets, such as Unforgotten or Dublin Murders, it’s a pacy thriller well worth seeking out.”

Also new next month on Sky:

STREET OUTLAWS: RACE NIGHT IN AMERICA

For the first time Street Outlaws fans will see races shot completely raw and unfiltered by the racers. (Discovery Turbo, 9.30 Tuesdays from September 1.)

DREAM JOBS WITH CHRIS HOY

Sir Chris Hoy, MBE is Great Britain’s joint-most successful Olympic athlete of all time, winning six gold medals and one silver. Seven years after retiring from competitive cycling, he’s pushing himself to the max to master some of the toughest, but most exhilarating, motoring disciplines in the world. (Discovery Turbo, 8.30 Fridays from September 4.)

SAVE THIS SHARK 

Three-time World Champion Surfer-turned-ocean activist Mick Fanning overcomes his fears in the interests of shark conservation. Five years after encountering a shark at the J-Bay Open, where he was dubbed “the guy who punched a shark”,  he investigates the issue of sharks versus people, debunks common misconceptions, and learns about the latest technology helping humans and sharks safely co-exist while saving them from extinction. (National Geographic, 7.30 Tuesdays from September 15.)

BLOOD ON THE WALL

Oscar-nominated director Sebastian Junger and Emmy-winning producer Nick Quested explore the depths of corruption plaguing Mexico and Central America and the policies of the past that have made it impossible for everyday people to find justice. “Systemic change is top of mind for a lot of people right now and that conversation needs to include U.S. foreign policies that only enhance the inequities across our southern border, allowing ruthless leaders and cartels to take advantage of people for their personal gain,” Quested says. (National Geographic, 8.30 September 27.)

MIRIAM MARGOLYES: ALMOST AUSTRALIAN

Australia is an immigrant nation – but how is that changing? Harry Potter actress Miriam Margolyes uncovers what it means to be Australian in the 21^st century five years after she was naturalised. Aware of how much she still has to learn about her new homeland, she embarks on a three-episode road trip across the continent to meet her fellow citizens. (Living, 8.30 Sundays from September 27.)