DCI Ellis is the latest detective to land on our TV screens, and this time heavyweight actress Sharon D Clarke take on a meaty role for Channel 5.

Channel 5's gritty new feature length detective series Ellis is led by the three-time Olivier Award winner, alongside a great supporting cast.

You'll know Sharon from the likes of Showtrial, Lost Boys & Fairies, Mr Loverman, and Holby City - where she played Lola Williams for several years.

Here's everything you need to know about detective drama Ellis on Channel 5, including plot, cast, location, episodes, and how to watch.

What is detective drama Ellis on Channel 5 and My5 about?

Ellis on Channel 5 is a new detective drama starring Sharon D Clarke as DCI Ellis, alongside Andrew Gower as her sidekick DS Chet Harper. Writer Sian Ejiwunmi-Le Berre penned the script, and she's best known for writing Nautilus, and Murder is Easy.

This three-part series will follow DCI Ellis, a tenacious cop who is "parachuted into failing investigations". Each two-hour episode sees Ellis - accompanied by her right-hand man DS Harper - arrive at a different police station, where she has to win over the local detectives and immerse herself in the cases she has come to solve.

Channel 5 tells us: "As a black female cop, Ellis is used to being dismissed and overlooked, but she is a first-class murder detective, with a determination for justice and a deep well of compassion for those who need it."

How many episodes are Ellis on Channel 5? How can I watch it?

Ellis is a three-part detective series, going out on Thursday nights in late October and early November.

Each feature-length episode is two hours long, including adverts, and start at 8pm, finishing at 10pm.

Episode 1 went out on Thursday, October 31, 2024 at 8pm on Channel 5 & My5. It is now available to watch exclusively on My5.

Episode 2 airs on Thursday, November 07, 2024 at 8pm, and will be available to watch on My5 afterwards.

Episode 3, the third and final episode, will go out on Thursday, November 14, 2024 at 8pm on Channel 5.

Ellis on Channel 5: Episode one plot of TV series

ACC Alison Leighton calls DCI Ellis to investigate when 18-year-old Rowan Edwards is found dead. Rowan's girlfriend, Maggie, has not been seen since Rowan's death and they need results fast.

Rowan's mother, an ex-MP, has doubts about the capabilities of the local force, but the current SIO is sure he has the murderer in his sights... He's less than impressed to have been shunted off the case by Ellis.

He assigns DS Chet Harper to keep an eye on Ellis, not trusting her at all. Ellis starts to dig under the surface of the town and soon sees that in Hanmore, parents know nothing about the lives of their children...

Ellis episode two plot on C5

In Ellis episode 2, DCI Ellis and Chet Harper arrive in the town of Callorwell to investigate the disappearance of a local detective, Jenny Rawler. Leighton needs Ellis to control the case: the DCI of the station is off with stress, and the force recently arrested the head of a major criminal gang but bungled the case and had to let her go.

Jenny's colleagues are indifferent to her disappearance, believing she left of her own free will, but Ellis - and Jenny's husband - feel something is amiss. More so when she learns that when Jenny disappeared, she was days away from submitting a complaint of bullying against her colleagues.

Rife with a toxic culture, the station blocks Ellis at every turn forcing her to reach out to the enemy…

What's the plot of TV series Ellis episode 3?

Episode 3 of Ellis sees Ellis and Harper called to the village of Brindleton, following the report of two missing honeymooners. With the newlyweds' phones found at the edge of a dangerous stretch of river, the working theory quickly becomes that of a murder-suicide...

However, when a severed hand is found near the honeymooners' camper van, it becomes clear that the pair have met with foul play. Intrusive internet sleuths have descended on the village, the local force is overwhelmed and under-resourced and, to solve this case, Ellis must evade the online frenzy in order to delve into the village's tangled past.

Is TV series Ellis any good? What are the reviews?

Ellis has been a hit with the critics so far - and the viewers. The Telegraph said: "It's a long shot, many nascent detective duos having withered on the vine, but it's the interplay between this latest twist on the chalk and cheese duo, not the sotto voce sleuthing, which might just mark Ellis out from the crowd."

The Times said: "Sharon D Clarke's lone cop is the queen of the withering look."

Meanwhile, Radio Times said: "Ellis is the British detective drama that the genre has been crying out for. You can't overstate the significance of Ellis as a primetime police drama."

Although inews.co.uk wasn't so keen, saying: "Don't waste your time with this patronising crime drama. It manages to feel both rushed and excruciatingly long."

Many viewers disagreed though, with one saying: "So far, impressed with #Ellis. Watched detective series for over 30 years and this one is very well done. It keeps you thinking. Lovely setting. And the lead actress has an extensive career behind her, including West End shows. Singer too. Gritty and not slow moving."

Another said: "Personally I'm enjoying @channel5_tv #Ellis a tiny bit formulaic, but good depth and, a lovely lovely change from so much of British TV drama in 2024, a relatively fresh talented cast."

A third added: "Amazing series. Check out #Ellis on Channel 5 starring Sharon D Clarke. Engrossing series. Loved it."

Where did they film TV series Ellis on Channel 5?

The new Channel 5 drama is set in and around the Peak District, but that's not actually where it was filmed. Ellis was actually filmed in Northern Ireland.

The Moravian village of Gracehill in Ballymena was used for the episode 1 fictional location of Hanmore. Meanwhile, Dromore was also used as a filming location. Dromore is a small market town in County Down.

Sharon D Clarke said of the locations: "They are absolutely stunning. In the third episode we were filming at Shane's Castle Estate in Antrim and it was just stunning."

Who plays DCI Ellis?

The cast of Ellis is led by Sharon D Clarke. She plays the titular role of DCI Ellis. Holby fans will know Sharon as Lola, however her career spans nearly 40 years. Her very first role was playing the Night Nurse in The Singing Detective in 1986. At 58 years old, she's starred in the likes of EastEnders, Silent Witness, Informer, and Doctor Who.

As well as starring in Ellis, 2024 will see Sharon pop up in the Wicked film, opposite Ariana Grande.

Who's in the cast of Ellis on Channel 5?

Andrew Gower portrays Ellis' sidekick DS Chet Harper. The actor is known for playing Nick Cutler in Being Human, Andrew Mullery in Monroe, Gilbert Hankin in The Village, and Prince Charles Edward Stuart in Outlander.

More recently, he's starred as Ezra Spurnrose in Carnival Row, Sansum in The Winter King, and Jamie in Sherwood.

Allison Harding is the only other significant regular cast member. She plays ACC Alison Leighton. It's actually only her third ever TV role, having previously played Sal Pucino in one episode of Nova Jones in 2021. In 2018, she portrayed an ensemble performer in Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again!

Guest cast over the three episodes include Shetland's Barry O'Connor as Peter Kelly, Slow Horses' Chris Reilly as DCI Jim Belmont, and The Bill's Kaye Wragg as Linda Bradley.

Episode 3 arguably has the most recognisable faces, including EastEnders' Amanda Drew as DCI Val Cotton, The Bay's Rina Mahoney as Lydia Green, Corrie's Charlie de Melo as Leo Braxton, Emmerdale's Charley Webb as Abbie Summerfield, and Detectorists' David Sterne as Foster Lang.

Will there be a series 2 of TV's Ellis?

Channel 5 has not yet announced if there'll be a series 2 of Ellis. However, we'd be surprised if another run isn't commissioned.

With Brenda Blethyn bowing out of Vera after series 14 in 2025, we're in need of a badass, no-nonsense detective on our screens!

Channel 5, are you listening?

Ellis episode 1 is currently available to watch on My5. Episode 2 airs on Thursday, November 07, 2024 at 8pm.