New Blood is a bold new seven-part investigative drama for BBC One, written by Anthony Horowitz.
Two junior investigators come together against a new breed of criminal – the uber-rich and powerful corporations, individuals and governments who hide behind legitimate facades.
Stefan is played by Mark Strepan, Rash by Ben Tavassoli, DS Sands by Mark Addy, Eleanor by Anna Chancellor, DI Heywood by Dorian Lough, Marcus by Ariyon Bakare and Leila by Aiysha Hart.
> Order Season 1 on DVD on Amazon.
Episode 1: ‘Case 1, Part 1’
Thursday 9 June 2016, 9pm
Six years after a drug trial in India goes horribly wrong, one of the guinea pigs, Mark Henson, is found dead.
Young PC Arrash ‘Rash’ Sayyad is sure it’s murder and approaches DS Derek Sands. Sands isn’t convinced but DI Heywood is impressed by Rash and offers him a trainee Detective Constable position.
Stefan Kowolski, a junior investigator for the Serious Fraud Office, is working undercover, gathering intelligence on David Leese, the Chief Pharmacist for six London hospitals. Leese is suspected of accepting bribes from pharmaceutical giant UK Remicon – the target of a major SFO investigation.
When an incident in Leese’s office places Stefan in a compromising situation, his boss Marcus has to pick up the pieces with SFO Director Eleanor Davies. Encouraged by Marcus, Stefan uses his ingenuity and finds a breakthrough clue.
When newly-promoted Rash takes his sister Leila to a duathlon, she catches the eye of Stefan, who’s also competing in the event, Rash is none too pleased and the distraction proves disruptive for them both.
Following up on Rash’s instinct that Mark’s death wasn’t suicide, Sands and Rash interview Mark’s former colleague Laura. Rash recognises her from a group photograph he’s seen in Mark’s flat and discovers that not only did Laura and Mark travel together in India, but their friend Steve Mullen has recently died in a hit-and-run.
Realising that Steve Mullen was also in the group photo from India, Rash fears Laura could be the next victim, and discovering that she is heading to Canary Wharf station, heads off after her.
Meanwhile Henry Williams, another guinea-pig who’s been left mentally scarred from the drug trial, has arranged to meet his online girlfriend, Caroline, at Canary Wharf station.
As Rash rushes to Canary Wharf station to follow Laura, both Henry and Rash become witness to unfolding events.
Episode 2: ‘Case 1, Part 2’
Thursday 16 June 2016, 9pm
Rash tries to convince Sands that the suspicious deaths are all connected.
Rash shows the India photo to Sands and persuades him that a visit to the funeral for one of the victims might lead them to other people in the group. His instinct pays off again when Bruce Lockwood shows up, revealing that the group met in Mumbai during a drug-trial run by British company Greenfern, overseen by David Leese. Bruce also mentions another guinea pig – Henry – and Sands tasks Rash with finding both Leese and Henry.
Meanwhile Stefan is at a smart London hotel for the UK Remicon party, pretending to be Leese. There are prostitutes and luxury training courses on offer, but before Stefan can discover more his drink is spiked. Hallucinating, he stumbles outside and into the path of a truck, only to be saved by Rash, who is on his way to find Leese. Reluctantly Rash looks after Stefan for the night, though neither will divulge why they were at the hotel.
As Rash tracks Henry down, Stefan and his SFO boss Marcus discover that Leese is connected to Greenfern, a subsidiary of UK Remicon – the centre of their investigation. When they find Greenfern is still making payments to Henry Williams, Stefan also goes to find Henry – but encounters more than he bargained for.
Episode 3: ‘Case 1, Part 3’
Thursday 23 June 2016, 9pm
Stefan and Rash’s worlds collide again, but this time with even bigger consequences, as they agree to share information on their ever-more intertwined investigations.
Although the murder suspect Henry has been arrested, Rash is convinced of his innocence and asks Stefan to help prove it. Together, they re-interview Bruce Lockwood, one of the surviving guinea pigs from the drug trial. In return, as a favour to Stefan, Rash interviews Leese and threatens him, revealing that complaints have been made against him.
When the news filters back to the police and Serious Fraud Office that Rash and Stefan have undertaken interviews without permission, their jobs are hanging in the balance.
When Bruce calls Rash wanting to meet, they discover the truth about India. And as further information comes to light, Stefan and Rash are left running – and jumping – for their lives.
Episode 4: ‘Case 2, Part 1’
Thursday 30 June 2016, 9pm
The SFO have been tipped off that government minister Charles Matherson has greenlit the construction of three controversial skyscrapers, for which his wife’s family has supplied the high-quality stone.
Stefan offers to get close to Matherson and goes undercover as his driver.
Across London, at the building site of one skyscraper, Rash and Sands investigate the death of a labourer called Adam. While the foreman insists that Adam’s death was accidental, Rash isn’t so sure. The pair interview Adam’s flatmate Karen, and learn that he recently came into some money. Rash later discovers that Adam visited someone called Gulliver just before his death, whom he traces to a reclamation yard.
Rash, who is unaware that he’s under surveillance in relation to the theft of public artworks, is volunteered by Heywood to cover the midnight observation post. Before he starts his shift Rash takes Stefan and Karen to a nightclub, hoping to discover more about Adam, and they accidentally get very drunk. When Stefan promises to help Rash stay awake at his observation post, disaster is not far away.
Episode 5: ‘Case 2, Part 2’
Wednesday 6 July 2016, 9pm
With Rash’s job on the line again, Eleanor drops the Matherson case and sends Stefan home, unimpressed by his black eye.
But before he leaves, Alison tells Stefan and Marcus that Matherson’s wife has made four payments to a shipping firm, White Dragon, with the dates matching sales to the developers of a controversial skyscraper.
Against Eleanor’s order, Stefan breaks into White Dragon and discovers a ship is due that night. After making amends with Rash, the pair drive to the docks to intercept the shipment. However, unbeknown to Stefan, his visit to White Dragon was recorded on CCTV – leading to him being identified by Matherson. As Rash and Stefan are followed onto the ship, will Stefan’s discovery lead them to a dead end?
Episode 6: ‘Case 3, Part 1’
Thursday 14 July 2016, 9pm
Rash and Sands investigate a series of high-end burglaries, while Stefan and the SFO investigate fraudster Daniel Lorca. They raid the office and home of his lawyer, John Malik, taking files and a DVD.
Meanwhile, Michael Freeland, accountant for Our Child charity, shares his concerns about financial irregularities with the husband of MD, Lisa. That night, Michael is stabbed at home by burglars and admitted to hospital where he’s put under the care of Rash’s sister, Leila. Lisa and her husband visit Michael in hospital as Leila is administering medication but later that night, Michael dies from a fatal overdose.
As Rash and Sands investigate the stabbing, Stefan finds an address connected to Lorca among the documents seized in the Malik raid. He tricks Rash into helping him gain entry to the property, but things don’t quite go to plan.
Episode 7: ‘Case 3, Part 2’
Thursday 21 July 2016, 9pm
Leila recalls that Lisa had the opportunity to tamper with the dosage that killed her charity’s accountant, Michael, and Rash and Stefan vow to prove Leila’s innocence.
Stefan discovers that Michael once worked for Malik and had recently visited him – but Malik won’t talk. The pair instead follow Lisa to the hotel of the high-ranking African politician David Kumalah, but are caught searching his room and come across more than they expected.
Malik later approaches Stefan with an offer to help in return for the DVD taken by the SFO. One step ahead, Stefan makes a vital discovery – whilst Alison has a breakthrough whilst searching One Child’s accounts. But Stefan and Rash’s race to find Lisa and Kumalah leaves them fighting for more than proof of Leila’s innocence.
> Order Season 1 on DVD on Amazon.
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