WHAT do you get if you blend legend of TV comedy Kathy Burke and chat show host Graham Norton with Olivier Award-winning actor Conleth Hill and Derry Girls' Siobhán McSweeney?
The answer is ITV's new drama Holding, which introduces viewers to a surprising, quirky and shrewdly observed sleepy village community in west Cork.
Ballycastle actor Hill, best known for his portrayal of Lord Varys in Game of Thrones, plays the leading role of Sergeant PJ Collins.
One of life's outsiders, the gentle but towering police officer hides from people and fills his days with comfort food and half-hearted police work.
When the body of long-lost local man Tommy Burke is discovered, PJ is tasked to solve a serious crime for the first time in his career and is forced to connect with the village he has tried hard to avoid. In doing so he unearths a community's worth of anger and resentments, secrets and regrets.
"It's the best piece of writing I've been given in my career. A bit like myself, he's waited all his life and suddenly in his 50s an amazing case comes along," says Hill.
"But just when he thinks he's going to take off by himself, this superior is sent down to oversee everything."
McSweeney (Derry Girls' Sister Michael) plays vulnerable, messy Bríd Riordan, who had been due to marry Tommy before his untimely disappearance, whilst Charlene McKenna (Bloodlands) plays Evelyn Ross, who was desperately in love with him in her youth. The two women are at the heart of the community and neither is above suspicion.
"Evelyn is a wonderful character. You kind of want to choke her and hug her at the exact same time. I wanted to be true to her and I hope the audience sees through to the heart because it is there," says the Monaghan actress.
The compelling murder mystery unfolds with a distinctive and darkly comic tone and explores themes of grief, community, family and various shades of love - from quietly passionate to taboo to unrequited...
This is evident in Evelyn's relationships, which seem to have a tempestuous nature to them.
"She's running from pain in her heart. The things she is trying to treat the void with are never going to work, but what she gets from them is short highs," adds McKenna.
Academy Award-winning actress Brenda Fricker (My Left Foot) returns to television in the role of Lizzie Meany, a shy presence in PJ's life who has been battling her own demons and secrets, whilst Pauline McLynn (Father Ted) is local shop owner and busybody Eileen O'Driscoll.
As her deceased husband was the local Garda before PJ, she isn't shy of making comments on everything he does.
"Certainly in Mrs O'Driscoll's head she leads the town, and if there was a position of mayor she would be at and self-appointed there is no doubt," laughs Pauline, who sums up the residents of Duneen.
"It's a very small place and they are kind of like a giant dysfunctional family."
Filmed in Skibbereen, Holding is based on the 2017 novel by Graham Norton, who enjoyed his role as executive producer, seeing the world he created come to life in front of him.
"I was very clear that I did not want to do the adaptation," he says.
"I've had my time with those characters and it was time to hand them over. I loved this experience. I had nothing to do; I just had to watch what happened."
Dublin-born Norton, who grew up in Co Cork, was full of praise for the changes made by screenwriters Dominic Treadwell-Collins and Karen Cogan.
"People who have read and enjoyed the book will be able to follow the thread of the story through it, but there are other great subplots and red herrings that Karen and Dominic have done so brilliantly, particularly finding depth in the Ross sisters."
The four-part series is directed by Kathy Burke, whom Graham credits for "taking it to a whole new level" with her "vision and punkiness".
One of the most versatile actors and directors in the entertainment world, Burke is known for her hilarious collaborations with Harry Enfield and French and Saunders, as well as her award-winning performance in Gary Oldman's Nil by Mouth, playing the long suffering wife of a drunken abusive man, played by Ray Winstone.
However, over the past two decades Burke has primarily worked in theatre directing. She confesses it was the combination of lockdown escapist reading and the casting of the lead roles that persuaded her to return to small screen drama.
"I've always said no to any TV projects coming in, but because of the pandemic and lockdown I had listened to Graham read the book Holding when I was busy in the house," she jokes. "And I really enjoyed it".
So when faced with the prospect of a screen adaptation of Holding and one where she was told the writers "are making more of the women", her interest piqued and so it was "a case of curiosity that killed the cat", and Burke came on board.
"The other great thing was having Bríd and PJ as our leads. People like Siobhán McSweeney and Conleth Hill are normally supporting actors, and with Holding they are leads. That's what pulled me in actually, plus my dear departed mother was from West Cork."
Funny, touching and at times profoundly sad, the drama is told through its idiosyncratic, yet very real characters, each with their own complexities and contradictions.
Burke credits Norton's initial acerbic wit and personality for helping set the tone for the series.
"We all know Graham Norton and there is sneakiness, a darkness and a taking the piss, but there is also great warmth, great humour and great love. Half the job is done when you have got that at the core of it."
And her secret in drawing out the best performances from the cast?
"I found it quite easy really. It's just a case of trust and making the actors feel safe," says Burke.
This included pre-shooting workshops and discussions, plenty of giggles and daily cold-water swims.
Burke also spoke highly of the professionalism of Hill in inspiring the rest of the cast.
"He is the company leader and Conleth was always on time, Conleth was always polite and Conleth always knew his lines - so of course everyone else has to follow suit."
Unlike any police characters seen in modern television, viewers of a certain age will smile at a little Benny Hill-style dance which PJ performs in one scene.
"I wouldn't say he's a deliberate promotion for the Guards recruitment, but he's definitely real and like all of the characters he is has his troubles and is holding something.
"Kathy came up with the Benny Hill stuff. She said someone's going to say something about the similarities, so we might as well," laughs Hill
:: Holding starts on UTV on Monday March 14 at 9pm. Also available on ITV Hub.
