Moving on...

Emilia Fox and David Caves on their return, the arrival of an overkeen new pathologist and a chance of romance

- IAN MACEWAN

SILENT WITNESS

NEW MON & TUE / BBC1 / 9PM / EPS 1-2 of 10 / DRAMA

The dramatic final episode of the last series of Silent Witness saw the forensics team at the Lyell Centre halved as Clarissa Mullery (Liz Carr) decided to move on and Thomas Chamberlain (Richard Lintern) died in the line of duty.

As the crime drama returns, pathologist Dr Nikki Alexander (Emilia Fox) and forensics expert Jack Hodgson (David Caves) are holding the fort in an investigation that sees one of them confronting a traumatic incident from the past.

However, some new blood is on the way as eager young pathologist Adam Yuen, played by Jason Wong, joins the series next week.

To set the crime scene, TV Times chatted to Emilia, 47, and David, 42, to find out what to expect, including whether Nikki and Jack are about to become more than just friends and colleagues…

How was the new series without Richard Lintern and Liz Carr, who played Thomas and Clarissa?

EMILIA Life mirrored what we were trying to do in the drama, because we were mourning the loss of Thomas and Clarissa as characters, as well as Richard and Liz, and missing them hugely.

DAVID It was very strange to begin with, just the two of us knocking around in the big old Lyell Centre together.

Jack missed his buddy Clarissa, of course, but it wasn’t long before the cases started coming in thick and fast, and we had to get to work.

How do Jack and Nikki cope with their new circumstances – and a new arrival?