Production Context of Hinterland

Hinterland, alternatively known as “Y Gwyll,” is a crime noir television series that had its first airing in 2013.
The show stands unique as it was shot twice, once in the Welsh language and once in English, making it a significant project in Welsh television history.
The series set in Wales was a production of Fiction Factory, a Wales-based TV production company, commissioned by S4C and the BBC.
Its unique bilingual nature served to promote Welsh language and culture both domestically and globally, while also providing diverse, culturally-rich content to meet demands of UK audiences.

Key Narrative and Stylistic Features

Hinterland follows a serial narrative structure where one crime case spans multiple episodes, contributing to increasingly complex plot development.
The series uses the crime noir genre with its hallmarks of a brooding detective protagonist, atmospheric mood, and intricate storytelling.
The striking rural setting of the Ceredigion landscape provides a key stylistic feature of Hinterland and plays an integral role in the narrative, offering a break from the usual urban landscapes seen in crime dramas.
The narrative is character-centric, with the enigmatic nature of DCI Tom Mathias and his complex past forming a key part of the storyline.

Representation and Ideology in Hinterland

The series offers an authentic representation of rural Wales seldom seen on British television, with the bleak landscapes reflecting the often dark themes of the crime investigations.
The depiction of both English and Welsh-speaking characters, as well as the Welsh setting, contributes to a multicultural British representation.
Viewers see a conscious effort at gender balance within the series, with important roles assigned to female characters in a predominantly male-led genre - DI Mared Rhys provides an example of a strong, authoritative female lead.
Parts of the series bring to the fore societal issues specific to rural life, thus subtly engaging with an exploration of rural poverty, loneliness, and isolation.

Audience and Reception of Hinterland

Distributed both domestically and internationally, Hinterland has received a generally positive response, admired for its moody atmospheric quality, distinctive Welsh setting, and complex characters.
The series has been praised for offering a fresh perspective on the crime genre by stepping away from typical urban-centric narratives.
The bilingual nature of the production has appealed to strands of Welsh-speaking audiences, creating a unique cultural representation.
Hinterland contributed to the popularity of ‘Welsh noir’, fuelling interest in crime dramas set in Wales.

Revising these distinct elements of Hinterland can help inform a broader understanding of the way contemporary television drama series are produced, their narrative styles, and how they tackle issues of representation.