Aberystwyth police drama Hinterland's economy boost

Lark Rise to Candleford star Richard Harrington (l) plays the lead role of Det Ch Insp Tom Mathias in Hinterland

A new TV detective drama being shot in Aberystwyth will inject £4.2m into the economy and create new jobs, claims the Welsh government.

Hinterland is being made in Welsh and English for Welsh language broadcaster S4C and BBC Wales.

The programme makers have received £215,000 in repayable business funding from the Welsh government.

Earlier this month it was revealed the Danish broadcaster behind TV's The Killing had bought Hinterland.

Commissioners at DR Denmark believe the Welsh landscape will appeal to its viewers familiar with the Copenhagen-set series.

The drama, which will be called Mathias on S4C after the lead character, is being filmed simultaneously in Welsh and English.

It stars Lark Rise to Candleford actor Richard Harrington as Det Ch Insp Tom Mathias.

Filming has taken place in Aberystwyth and in nearby Borth and Devil's Bridge, and crews will remain in the area until May next year. Post production will be carried out in Cardiff.

The Welsh government said the funding for Hinterland would create work for scores of people working in the film sector, and ensured the project would be produced in Wales, securing £4.2m for the economy.

Business Minister Edwina Hart said: "This is another great opportunity for the creative industries sector in Wales to showcase the available talent and expertise in Wales.

"I am particularly pleased to see that Hinterland will offer a range of employment and work opportunities for young talent in Wales while the entire production will also create economic benefits for a range of businesses, including hospitality and tourism."

DR Denmark, which makes The Killing, said Hinterland was one of a number foreign programmes it was buying.

Acquisitions executive Kaare Schmidt said: "We expect it (Hinterland) to be kind of the same style as we have in The Killing.

"That's what we call noir, a kind of dark look at things.

Wallander - a troubled detective in an interesting landscape

"You also have it in Wallander, which I know you have seen and you have a British version of it as well, where you have a dark detective, who is troubled. And it is in an interesting setting like the one you have here in Aberystwyth, where you have good landscape, good back streets of the town."

Hinterland is set against a backdrop of mountainous land, isolated farms and a close-knit village.

It sees Mathias coming to Aberystwyth in search of a new beginning.

Despite being tortured by guilt about his past, he is an intuitive and passionate detective, compelled to find justice and succeeds despite his unorthodox methods, says S4C.

Mr Schmidt said the rugged landscapes would give viewers an impression of the "soul, the mind of the detective", and reflected the times we lived in.

"Even though the idea of noir goes back to the 30s and the 40s, it's those troubled times we have again with the [financial] crisis and all that is reflected in the minds of the people, the detective, the criminals and the way you show it through the landscapes and the townscapes," added Mr Schmidt.

Hinterland, produced by Fiction Factory, will provide employment for 80 freelance staff over 12 months.