Viewers have compared EastEnders spin-off Kat And Alfie: Redwater to Broadchurch after the show made its debut on Thursday.
The new six-part drama saw Jessie Wallace and Shane Richie reprise their roles as Kat and Alfie Moon, as they headed to Ireland to find the long-lost son Kat gave up for adoption at the age of 14.
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It was conceived by the BBC 1 soap’s former executive producer Dominic Treadwell-Collins and launched on Irish TV channel RTE1 on Sunday.
But viewers who tuned into the scenes of rolling green and grey countryside for the first time on Thursday described the show as the BBC’s answer to Chris Chibnall’s popular ITV drama starring David Tennant, Olivia Colman.
JW #Redwater Ep1. Was not expecting that. Could this be the new Broadchurch?
— David Weller (@telos32) May 18, 2017
Absolutely hooked like Broadchurch. #Redwater
— Lee Collins (@LeeCollins24) May 18, 2017
Writers of #Redwater have been watching too much #broadchurch
— Tracey (@TraceyWills1) May 18, 2017
So #Redwater is basically the #bbc ‘s version of #broadchurch cracking first episode though. Enjoyed it! 👏👏👏
— Martin Cabble-Reid (@martincabble) May 18, 2017
It was a successful start in general for Redwater, with some claiming it was even better than the soap where the characters originated.
Wish Eastenders was as good as Redwater – it used to be and I miss it.
— Mrs Skinner (@suzeloves) May 18, 2017
Good opening episode of Redwater tonight roll on next week. Also it’s great to see Jessie Wallace and Shane Richie on TV again #redwater 😀
— Chris Tibble (@christibble9) May 18, 2017
#Redwater amazing first episode glued to it. @realshanerichie @JessieWallaceUK amazing missed seeing you guys together. #epic 👍
— Ricky Port (@rick5years) May 18, 2017
Wallace became a fan favourite when she arrived on Albert Square as the no-nonsense, leopard print-clad Kat Slater back in 2000.
Richie joined in 2002 as Alfie, and the two later married to become one of the most beloved soap couples of all time before they departed EastEnders in early 2016.
The spin-off revolves around Kat’s search for her long-lost son, Zoe’s twin, who she didn’t know she’d given birth to, and was adopted straight away.
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As soon as Kat arrived in the village, she fixated on the first dark-haired 30-something she met and decided he must be her boy.
It turned out local priest and all-round good guy Father Dermott was actually her son.
And then it was revealed he wasn’t a good boy at all when he found out the truth from grandad Lance about his parentage, and Dermott promptly drowned Lance in the sea. Woah.
https://twitter.com/Franniebb77/status/865486655720873988
Didn't expect the end though – what a start! 👏 #RedWater
— Jak (@jkirkmanmusic) May 18, 2017
Well that got very dark, very quickly… #Redwater
— Keilidh Whyte (@jestar99) May 18, 2017
the first episode of #redwater was really good!! what a great twist at the end!!
— char (@angelslikejaded) May 18, 2017
Kat And Alfie: Redwater continues on BBC1 next Thursday.