McDonald & Dodds season 4: release date, cast, plot and everything we know

McDonald & Dodds season 4 is on the way once again featuring arguably TV's most underrated crime-busting duo.

If you've not seen the previous series, it's well worth a watch, as Tala Gouveia as DCI McDonald and Jason Watkins as DS Dodds are brilliant fun.

Watkins previously said of his bumbling but brilliant cop alter ego: "He's such a great character to play, I always enjoy it. He's such an interesting man — seemingly quite straight-forward, but actually rather complicated and I think audiences enjoy that about him. He's often the one who you think is least likely to solve the case and yet he ends up having the little bit of insight that cracks it."

Set in Bath, the drama is returning for three new two-hour adventures. You can stream the past series on ITVX in the UK and BritBox in the US and check out our best ITV dramas article for more shows to enjoy. Here's everything we know about McDonald & Dodds season 4...

McDonald & Dodds season 4 release date

McDonald & Dodds season 4 is released on BritBox in the US on Thursday 23 May. New episodes are then released every Thursday. Oddly, for a UK-made series there isn't a release date yet on ITV or ITVX. We will update this article when we get a UK release date.

What’s the plot?

The makers have teased the plot of the first case, saying: "McDonald and Dodds begin to investigate when a middle-aged woman is found shot dead in a rented flat. The killer has removed all clues to her identity, but DNA reveals she went missing over 35 years ago. Where has she been all those years? And who with?"

Who's in the cast?

Tala Gouveia and Jason Watkins are both back as the leads. Returning to the cast this series are Claire Skinner (Outnumbered) who plays Chief Superintendent Ormond and Charlie Chambers (EastEnders) who plays DC Goldie. Bhavik C. Pankhania (World On Fire) joins the lineup as DC Lee.

We also have some guest star cast information, with singer/songwriter Pixie Lott turning up at one point. Plus other guest stars include Toby Stephens, Daniel Lapaine, Ace Bhatti, Lydia Leonard, Dipo Ola and John Gordon Sinclair.

Is there a trailer?

Sadly not yet. But here's a trailer for a previous series to give you a taster of what the show's like if you've not seen it...

What else do we know?

The series has been commissioned for ITV by Polly Hill and Huw Kennair Jones and will be produced by Joe Shrubb. Executive producers are Robert Murphy, Damien Timmer and Charlotte Webber. The first film is written by Robert Murphy and directed by Khurrum M. Sultan.

Huw Kennair Jones said: "We’re thrilled to be returning to the beautiful city of Bath for more original and inventive crimes for McDonald and Dodds to solve. And it’s great to be working with Mammoth Screen, Robert Murphy and Tala and Jason once again on what promises to be another brilliant series."