Sharon Rooney Will Investigate ‘An Impossible Way To Die’
Sharon Rooney will attempt to solve 'An Impossible Way To Die.'
Scottish actor Sharon Rooney has been a major player in the U.K. ever since her 2013 breakout role as the lead in My Mad Fat Diary. Despite working steadily since, a combination of shows that didn’t cross over and bad luck meant it took until 2023 for her to catch the attention of viewers on this side of the pond, with her turn as Lawyer Barbie in the blockbuster hit. Now she’s landed the lead in a brand new mystery series, which will hopefully bring her the attention she deserves.
Rooney stars in the latest drama from the U.K.’s 5, An Impossible Way To Die, which, on the surface, looks like yet another “odd couple cops solve mysteries” thriller series. Her co-star, Emmett J. Scanlan, is best known for his numerous roles as a hotheaded, unpredictable bad boy, though almost always as a supporting character, never as lead.
However, the series isn’t the usual “grizzled veteran who bends the rules, saddled with a young, fresh-faced ingenue” that you might expect from this casting. A character-driven crime drama described as “exploring themes of identity, protection, power and corruption,” Scanlan and Rooney both play experienced cops; their “opposites attract” trait is instead that he’s the kind of cop who is dedicated to the job with no work-life balance to speak of, while Rooney is a family woman, whose diligence at her job is never allowed to take over her home life. It’s an interesting twist on the genre, which rarely creates mentally healthy role models for these sorts of dramas.
Here’s the series’ current synopsis:
DS Katie Salter is happily solving everyday crimes until fate drags her into an impossible murder mystery. Four people sat around a table seemingly set for a dinner party – except they are all dead. The only clue is a scorpion crawling out of one of the victims’ mouths…
Salter is not your stereotypical damaged and tormented TV detective. Smart, diligent, and committed to her family, tensions quickly surface when Salter is partnered with DI Niall Conway, lead investigator on the case. Salter’s measured, grounded approach clashes with Conway’s all-consuming dedication to the job. At first, the two detectives appear fundamentally incompatible. Yet, as the investigation deepens and the pressure intensifies, Conway begins to recognize the value of Salter’s empathy, optimism, and instinctive understanding of people. As the case grows increasingly impossible, secrets are unearthed, and conspiracies emerge, lives are put at risk as the detectives race against time to connect seemingly disparate cases and unmask a killer before it’s too late.
Rooney (Nightsleeper) stars as DS Katie Salter, with Emmett J. Scanlan (A Woman of Substance) as DI Niall Conway. The series will also co-star Lois Chimimba (Vigil), Jonny Lavelle (Down Cemetery Road), and Ashley McGuire (This Is Going To Hurt).
Jillian Mannion (Death in Paradise) penned two of the series six episodes, splitting writing duties with Robin Ganderton, Rowena Johnson, Ciara Conway, and David Persiva. Director Adam Wimpenny (Hotel Portofino) will helm the full series.
An Impossible Way to Die is currently filming and is expected to air on 5 in 2027. The series does not yet have an American distributor.
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