Yellowstone’s Kelly Reilly will co-lead a new British Sky Original crime drama called Under Salt Marsh, and first-look images have been

released. Though many know Kelly Reilly best for her role as the Dutton family’s cut-throat daughter in Yellowstone, the English actress is

no stranger to British crime dramas, having played the role of Detective Constable (later promoted to Inspector) Anna Travis in ITV’s Above Suspicion.

 

 

In Under Salt Marsh, a Welsh-set, six-part crime drama, Reilly will portray Jackie Ellis, a former detective turned teacher whose life is turned upside down when a shocking discovery threatens to reopen the three-year-old cold case that cost her everything, including her career. Reilly will be joined by Trying and The War of the Worlds star Rafe Spall, who will play Detective Eric Bull.

 

 

The moody production stills depict Reilly and Spall as their characters, Jackie and Eric, in the fictional Welsh coastal town of Morfa Halen. The pair can be seen on the beach and in what appears to be the show’s primary crime scene, with one photo showing Reilly as Jackie on a dark, rain-soaked night. Check out the images below:

Under Salt Marsh will be Reilly’s first major TV role since Yellowstone ended in 2024. Although Reilly is no stranger to the British mystery genre – she also played a part in Kenneth Branagh’s third Poirot film adaptation, A Haunting in Venice – Jackie’s character seems to be quite far removed from Reilly’s most famous role.

 

 

Where Yellowstone’s Beth Dutton was strong-willed and ruthless, Under Salt Marsh’s Jackie will likely be more desperate, haunted, and driven by grief; at least, if the synopsis is anything to go by. This will give Reilly a chance to showcase a different side of her abilities, and her return to a wholly British production is certainly welcome, especially in a genre and format where the Brits excel.

I may be slightly biased, but it’s hard to deny the Brits have perfected the miniseries formula. I’ve been watching British crime dramas since I was a teenager, from feature-length detective shows to cozy murder mysteries, crime thrillers, and everything in between. So much of British TV is limited to just a handful of episodes per season; they know how to tell these kinds of stories effectively and memorably.

Given what we’ve learned about Under Salt Marsh so far, I’d wager Sky’s new series will sit comfortably alongside British hits like Karen Pirie, Sherwood, or Broadchurch, which similarly intertwine present-day mysteries with older cases and examine the effect of violence on small communities. It will be interesting to see how this combination affects Kelly Reilly’s character in Under Salt Marsh, in particular.