The Red King is a 2024 British crime drama television series consisting of six episodes, which aired on Alibi from 24 April to 29 May. It was created and written by Toby Whithouse and directed by Daniel O'Hara and Lisa Clarke.
The Red King stars Anjli Mohindra as Grace, a detective sergeant posted to the fictional island of St Jory, off the Welsh coast, as she investigates the death of a young boy. St Jory is home to the True Way, a pagan cult which was established about 100 years ago by the Nancarrow family. Locals claim it no longer exists but celebrate festivals for the tourist trade. Grace and police constable Owen (James Bamford) investigate the murder of a boy, Cai, despite lack of cooperation from most residents. Other characters include former sergeant Gruffudd (Mark Lewis Jones), pub owner Lowri (Lu Corfield), her daughter Winter (Maeve Courtier-Lilley), Cai's father Ian (Marc Warren) and Nancarrow descendant Heather (Adjoa Andoh).
After informing on fellow police officers for assaulting an alleged rapist, Grace Narayan is posted as a sergeant to the small Welsh island of St Jory, where she begins investigating the disappearance of a local boy named Cai. Along the way, Grace uncovers local secrets and suspects the involvement of a pagan cult named True Way, which the islanders claim no longer exists.
The Red King is written by Toby Whithouse and directed by Daniel O'Hara and Lisa Clarke. The executive producers are Nicola Shindler and Davina Earl for Quay Street Productions, Philippa Collie Cousins for UKTV and writer Whithouse and director Daniel OâÂÂHara. The series is produced by Guy Hescott.
The cast includes Anjli Mohindra, Adjoa Andoh, Marc Warren and Jill Halfpenny, as well as Mark Lewis Jones, Oliver Ryan, Sam Swainsbury, Lu Corfield, James Bamford and Maeve Courtier-Lilley.
The story is set on the fictitious St Jory island off the Welsh coast, but was filmed in Northumberland, and had begun by 19 June 2023. Filming locations included Embleton, Craster, Alnmouth, and Cambois. The Morris dancers featured in the series were from Black Gate Morris.
The series premiered in the United Kingdom on Alibi on 24 April 2024.
The Guardian gave it four out of five stars, comparing it favourably with The Wicker Man. They said "The Red King applies entertaining topspin to the road-tested premise, adding yet more rug-pulls and buckets of sarcasm and self-reflexiveness." Carol Midgley in The Times praised the "dry, dark wit" of WhithouseâÂÂs script, and said the cast is "high pedigree". Keith Watson in The Daily Telegraph awarded the series four stars out of five and praised the performance of Mohindra who "hits just the right note".