Wunmi Mosaku leads the Passenger cast as a detective investigating a strange and sinister chain of events in the snow-covered village of Chadder Vale, in this darkly comic horror.
Created by debut screenwriter Andrew Buchan, an actor known for his roles in Broadchurch and The Honourable Woman, the story begins when a local girl goes missing late one night, yet the incident proves just the start of a brooding series stuffed full of mysteries...
Once we dig beneath the surface we find the people of Chadder Vale have plenty of secrets, so we thought we'd take a look at the village's residents and the star-studded cast of British talent playing them!
Who's who in the Passenger cast
Wunmi Mosaku as Detective Riya Ajunwa
Riya is from Manchester and spent many years working for the Metropolitan Police in London, yet was persuaded to come to Chadder Vale by her estranged husband Nick, who then departed for Spain, leaving Riya to take care of his ill mum. Riya misses the big cases she used to get in London and when strange things start to happen in the village she's determined to find out what's going on.
What else has Wunmi Mosaku been in? The Nigerian-born British actress won a BAFTA for her role in BBC real-life drama, Damilola, Our Loved Boy and has also had roles in hit British shows Vera, Luther and Kiri. In the US, she's appeared in We Own This City and played Hunter B-15 / Dr. Verity Willis in Loki.
David Threlfall as Jim Bracknell
Jim Bracknell runs the local fracking site, but finds himself constantly beset by protestors who want to shut the facility down. Living alone in his caravan, he's haunted by the memory of a terrible crime committed by Eddie Wells and is terrified at the prospect the criminal being released from prison.
Where else have I seen David Threlfall? Threlfall is a revered stage actor, yet his most well-known TV role came when he played foul-mouthed Frank Gallagher in Channel 4 drama Shameless. He's also played famous comic Tommy Cooper in Tommy Cooper: Not Like That, Like This and appeared in dramas What Remains, Midwinter of the Spirit and Code of a Killer.
Daniel Ryan as Derek Jackson
Derek Jackson is the owner of Jumbo Breads, a local factory that employs many of Chadder Vale's residents. In the first episode he's delighted to have been nominated for "Lancashire Businessman of the Year", even if neither his wife, Terry, nor his employees seem that interested. However there's something dodgy going on at the factory, which no one knows about..
What else has Daniel Ryan been in? Since 2019 Ryan has played DI Tony Manning in ITV crime series The Bay and has also had roles in recent dramas Crossfire, Litvinenko and Four Lives. In 2019 he also starred opposite Sally Lindsay in Cold Call, his co-star from Sky comedy Mount Pleasant.
Rowan Robinson as Katie Wells
Katie Wells goes missing in the first episode of the series, after stopping her car following a strange collision on the woodland road. She wanders into her forest after getting out to investigate and isn't seen again until the following evening when she wanders into her mum's house as if nothing had happened. But what did she meet in the woods? And what killed the stag that was found near her abandoned car?
Where else have I seen Rowan Robinson? This is the young British actress' first TV series, but last year she appeared in Hercule Poirot film, A Haunting In Venice, which starred Kenneth Branagh as the Belgian sleuth.
Nico Mirallegro as Kane Jackson
Derek's younger brother was driving a Jumbo Bread lorry through the woods when something escaped from the vehicle in the opening scene of the series. But what was it? It seems Kane is very reluctant to be involved in the scheme his sibling has drawn him into and keen to live a simple life, but does he know too much to escape?
What else has Nico Mirallegro been in? After making his debut in Hollyoaks as Barry 'Newt' Newton, Nico starred in My Mad Fat Diary, Rillington Place, Moving On and Ridley. He also appeared in 2018 Mike Leigh movie Peterloo.
Barry Sloane as Eddie Wells
Katie's father has been in prison for five years, only to be let out on the very same day she disappears. Given the terrible nature of his crime, his early release from a 10 year prison sentence causes shockwaves in a Chadder Vale that struggled to move past his evil deed. Jim Bracknell is particularly haunted by the ex-con, but what did he do?
Where else have I seen Barry Sloane? The Liverpool-born star is another Hollyoaks alumni and appeared in US dramas Revenge and Six, a military series where he played Joe 'Bear' Graves. He's also appeared alongside Passenger co-star Daniel Ryan in The Bay and Litvinenko.
Natalie Gavin as Jo Wells
Katie's mum is terrified when her daughter goes missing while driving her car through the forest at the start of the series, especially as it comes just weeks after a Swedish woman disappeared in mysterious circumstances. She's also blindsided by the news that her husband Eddie has been released from prison early. Jo has battled to keep her family together since he was sent down and still struggles with the memory of what he did.
Where else have I seen Natalie Gavin? The English actress is best known for her roles in the BBC dramas Prisoners' Wives and The Syndicate, and ITV drama Jericho. She's also had roles in Stephen Graham-led dramas Time and Bodies, a recent Netflix sci-fi thriller.
Jo Hartley as Chief Constable Linda Markel
The Chief Constable of Chadder Vale's Police Force isn't interested in any of the strange goings-on in the town and wishes Riya would stop looking for mysteries to investigate. Rather than investigating the disappearance of someone who's now returned home, she wishes the former Met detective would find out what's happened to the village's missing bins, as her main priority is winning the Best Kept Village Award.
Where else have I seen Jo Hartley? Jo's breakthrough came in Shane Meadows' 2006 film This Is England and she also reprised her role as the mother of main character Sean in many of the Channel 4 spin-off series. She's also appeared opposite Ricky Gervais in Netflix comedy After Life and had roles in the streaming giant's film, Bank of Dave.
Shervin Alenabi as Mehmet Shah
Mehmet was in the pub with Katie on the night she disappeared. She gave him a lift home after he got into a fight with John (his best mate and her boyfriend) but he was passed out on the back seat when she got out of the car in the forest. The next day he awoke in his bed with no memory of what had happened. Elsewhere, Mehmet is part of the group of protestors who been making Jim Bracknell's life hell with their ongoing picket at his fracking site, while in his spare time he enjoys video games.
Where else have I seen Shervin Alenabi before? The Iranian-born British actor is best known for feature film Baghdad In My Shadow, in which he starred alongside Passenger creator Andrew Buchan. He's also had a role in Sky's British crime drama Gangs of London.
Jack James Ryan as John Trowbridge
Katie's boyfriend is furious when he walks into the Dog & Duck and sees her cosied up with his best friend Mehmet in the first episode of the series. When Katie doesn't return home, he's convinced she's spent the night at Mehmet's but is shocked when he learns that she's missing.
Where else have I seen Jack James Ryan? Jack is best-known for his role as Jacob Hay in ITV soap Coronation Street, but has also had roles in Vera, Doctors and Military Wives.
Ella Bruccoleri as Ali Day
Ali Day is a junior officer who works under Riya in the Chadder Vale Police Force. She's a keen environmentalist and is very concerned by the unseasonal weather gripping the village, yet is also loyal to Riya and desperate to learn from her boss' vast experience as a detective.
Where else have I seen Ella Bruccoleri? Ella is most famous for her recurring role as Sister Frances in BBC period drama Call The Midwife, but she's also had roles in Channel 4 romantic drama Alice & Jack. Her other shows include Hotel Portofino and The Chelsea Detective.
Arian Nik as Nish Chowdry
Another junior officer in the Chadder Vale Police Force, Nish is happy with his life in the village, spending his free time playing video games and drinking in the Dog & Duck. However when circumstances start spinning out of control, he's inspired to join Riya on a daring hunt for the truth.
Where else have I seen Arian Nik? Nik is yet another actor who's appeared in The Bay, however he's also had a leading role in ITVX series Count Abdulla and appeared in dramas such as Killing Eve, Ackley Bridge and Van Der Valk.
Sean Gilder as Tony Corrigan
Tony owns the local boxing gym and drinks in the Dog & Duck, yet doesn't seem to enjoy much about his life, spending most of his days in a serious grump. He dislikes Riya, yet is close with Jim Bracknell and is furious to hear that his tormentor Eddie Wells, whose crime he believes almost destroyed the Chadder Vale community, is due to be released early.
Where else have I seen Sean Gilder? The actor's most famous role came in Channel 4 show Shameless, where he played Paddy Maguire opposite Passenger co-star David Threlfall. He's also had roles in BBC dramas Our Girl and Poldark, before cropping up in Apple TV Plus espionage thriller Slow Horses recently.
Debbie Rush as Terry Jackson
Terry Jackson is a forensic analyst who's been married to Derek for many years, but their relationship isn't as healthy as it once was. When Katie goes missing it's her job to analyse the strange black liquid found on the dead stag by her car. But what could it be and what does Terry know about
What else has Debbie Rush been in? Debbie is most famous for playing Anna Windass in Coronation Street for 10 years, but after leaving the soap she's had roles in Brassic and Inside No9.
Hubert Hanowicz as Jakub Makowski
Jakub worked with Eddie Wells at Chadder Vale's garage before he was put away and has taken on the business in his absence. The Polish mechanic feels at home in a village full of outsiders and spending time with Riya, even if she beats him when they spar together at Tony's boxing club. We're pretty sure he has a thing for her, but does she return his feelings?
What else has Hubert Hanowicz been in? The Polish actor has appeared in several British dramas, including This Is Going To Hurt, Unforgotten and Grantchester. He also had a role in Disney+ Star Wars spin-off series, Andor.
