Under Salt Marsh: Episode guide and release dates confirmed for Kelly Reilly's 'gripping' new crime drama on Sky Atlantic
The atmospheric crime drama is set in a close-knit Welsh town
Under Salt Marsh is an upcoming Sky Original crime drama which promises to be every bit as good as the hype. Trust us on this one.
There are crime dramas and then there’s THIS. Like Mare of Easttown, Happy Valley, and True Detective, Under Salt Marsh combines a killer plot, with a solid cast, and atmospheric locations.
Under Salt Marsh “blends atmospheric crime storytelling with a deeply human portrait of resilience and community”.
The streaming channel has now released first look pictures and a trailer for the “gripping” series. So here’s everything you need to know, including cast, start date, plot and number of episodes.
What is the plot of Under Salt Marsh on Sky?
Under Salt Marsh centres on “an unspeakable crime” which takes place in a small Welsh community where everyone “trusts one another”. Well, at first, anyway.
The series begins as a “once-in-a-generation storm” rolls in from the sea. As the apocalyptic weather batters the community, former detective-turned-teacher Jackie Ellis makes a shocking discovery…
A synopsis tell us: “It reopens the wounds of a three-year-old cold case which cost her both her career and her family’s trust.”
Jackie is forced to reluctantly reunite with her estranged police partner Detective Eric Bull on “an investigation that will shake Morfa Halen to its core”.
We’re told: “Together, they must confront a community haunted by secrets and fractured by grief, before the incoming storm washes away the evidence forever.”
The residents of the small Welsh village are subsequently left wondering “who is capable” of committing such a shocking crime.
How many episodes is it?
The upcoming Sky Original drama will be six episodes long.
Claire Oakley created, wrote, and directed the series. She’s best known for working on the Molly Windsor film Make Up, and directing episodes of Culprits.
Who is in the cast?
Kelly Reilly and Rafe Spall lead the cast in the Sky Original, Under Salt Marsh. And they are joined by a solid ensemble support.
Surrey-born actress Kelly, 48, stars as Jackie Ellis, the former detective who must solve the cold case to keep the trust of her neighbours. As well as an extensive career in films, she is perhaps best known for her portrayal of badass Beth Dutton in Yellowstone. She of many memes.
TV viewers will also know her as Kerra in Britannia, Jordan Semyon in True Detective, Dr Catherine Black in Black Box, and DI Anna Travis in Above Suspicion.
Rafe Spall, 42, plays Detective Eric Bull. The British actor is handy at both comedic and dramatic roles, just like his pa Timothy. Rafe is best known for playing Jason Ross in sitcom Trying, as well as Pete Griffiths in Pete Versus Life, and Reg Whitehead in Roadies.
The brilliant supporting cast includes Slow Horses’ Jonathan Pryce as prominent character
Also starring in the ensemble cast of Under Salt Marsh is:
- DI Ray‘s Naomi Yang as
- Clink’s Dinita Gohil.
- The Guest‘s Kimberley Nixon.
- Fool Me Once’s Dino Fetscher.
- The Witcher: Blood Origin’s Lizzie Annis.
- Death Valley‘s Rhodri Meilir.
- Stella’s Julian Lewis Jones.
Where was Under Salt Marsh filmed?
The six-part drama is set in a close-knit Welsh town fractured by an unspeakable crime. The crime drama centres on the residents of fictional Welsh town Morfa Halen.
Cast and crew filmed in and around Wales, and the production received support from the Welsh Government via Creative Wales.
What is the theme music on Under Salt Marsh?
The theme music used during the credits of Under Salt Marsh is suitably haunting – and composed especially for the drama. Ben Salisbury and Suvi-Eeva Äikäs created the music for the show.
Suvi-Eeva Äikäs is a Finnish-born, Bristol-based composer and sound artist. She’s worked as a composer and composer assistant for film and TV in UK for both smaller independent films as well as in bigger series for Amazon, Sky and FX. She has scored episodes of Hanna on Amazon), and co-written two tracks for the series Devs.
British composer Ben Salisbury is the winner of the 2016 Ivor Novello Award for Best Original Score on Ex Machina. He recently worked on Cillian Murphy drama Steve. Ben and Suvi-Eeva previously worked together on the theme music for eerie Sci-fi drama Constellation, and Devs.
When’s the start date? How can you watch it?
Under Salt Marsh will launch on Sky and streaming service NOW in January 2026.
The six-part drama launches on Sky and NOW on Friday, January 30, 2026 at 2am.
When is the next episode of Under Salt Marsh? What day are new episodes released?
Episodes 1 and 2 land on Friday, January 30, at 9pm on Sky Atlantic. And then they air one episode a week from then on. So:
Episode 3 will air on Friday, February 06, 2026.
Episode 4 will air on Friday, February, 13, 2026.
The fifth episode will air on Friday, February 20, 2026.
The final episode will air on Friday, February 27, 2026.
Each morsel of drama will land at 2am!
