New crime series Old Town Murders and supernatural thriller The Witch Farm will both be filmed and set in Wales as BBC Cymru Wales backs a fresh wave of homegrown storytelling

THE BBC has announced two major new Welsh drama commissions, with Tenby set to take centre stage in a new prime-time crime series.

Old Town Murders and The Witch Farm will both air on BBC iPlayer and BBC One, in a move the broadcaster says reflects its commitment to telling more stories from across the devolved nations.

For Pembrokeshire audiences, the biggest local interest will be Old Town Murders, a six-part crime drama set in Tenby and filmed in Tenby, Cardiff and along the South Wales coastline.

The new series stars Mark Lewis Jones and Steffan Rhodri as DI Glyn Walsh and DS Sion Dearden, two detectives and old friends brought together by personal hardship as they investigate a string of disturbing murders in the seaside town.

The BBC said the drama would be witty and twist-filled, combining dark crime stories with humour, friendship and second chances. The opening investigation centres on the murder of a respected university professor, before the detectives are drawn into further baffling cases, including the poisoning of a head teacher and a mysterious death linked to a triathlon.

The series has been written, created and executive produced by Welsh writer Matthew Barry, whose recent credits include Men Up and The Guest. It will also feature James Bamford, Bethan Mary-James, Catherine Ayers and Julie Graham.

The second commission, The Witch Farm, is a four-part ghost story and mystery based on Danny Robins’ successful podcast of the same name.

Set in South Wales in 1989, it follows Bill and Liz Rich, played by Gabrielle Creevy and Michael Socha, as they leave London for a remote farmhouse in the foothills of the Brecon Beacons in search of a fresh start. But after Liz believes she has seen a ghostly figure during a traumatic home birth, the couple find themselves drawn into a chilling sequence of unexplained events.

The BBC said the series is inspired by real events, theories and first-hand accounts explored in the original podcast, although some characters and elements have been changed for dramatic purposes.

Danny Robins, who has built a strong following through paranormal hits including Uncanny and The Battersea Poltergeist, has written and created the television adaptation. The Witch Farm will be directed by Stacey Gregg and produced by Mammoth Screen.

Nick Andrews, Head of Commissioning for BBC Cymru Wales, said the two dramas formed part of a rich season of content for viewers in Wales.

He said: “We’re heading into such a rich season of content for audiences in Wales – stories which resonate deeply here but will ricochet across the UK and beyond.”

Lindsay Salt, Director of BBC Drama, said the BBC was delighted to announce two productions that would both be filmed and set in Wales.

She said: “With fabulous writers Matthew Barry and Danny Robins, we’re extremely proud to have these two fantastic series coming to BBC iPlayer and BBC One, as part of our commitment to produce distinctive, must-see dramas across the UK.”

The announcement will be seen as another boost for Wales’ growing television industry, with both productions adding to a run of high-profile dramas made in the country.

For Pembrokeshire, however, the spotlight will fall most sharply on Old Town Murders, with Tenby’s streets, seafront and scenery expected to reach a UK-wide audience when the series airs.

With murder mysteries unfolding in one of Wales’ best-known seaside towns and a haunting tale set deep in the Welsh countryside, the BBC is making clear that Welsh stories are moving firmly into the mainstream.

FORMER BBC presenter Scott Mills was sacked after senior management learned that the alleged victim in a historic police investigation was under the age of 16, according to reports.

The BBC has confirmed that it was aware in 2017 of an ongoing police investigation into allegations of serious sexual offences, but said fresh information only came to light in recent weeks. The corporation then terminated Mills’ contracts on Friday, March 27.

The Metropolitan Police said the investigation began in December 2016 following a referral from another force. It related to allegations of serious sexual offences against a teenage boy, reported to have taken place between 1997 and 2000.

A man, then in his 40s, was questioned under caution in July 2018. Police later passed a full file of evidence to the Crown Prosecution Service, which decided the evidential threshold had not been met to bring charges. The investigation was closed in May 2019.

Mills, 53, said this week that he had fully cooperated with the investigation and responded to police in 2018.

In a statement, he said the matter related to an allegation dating back nearly 30 years and noted that the police investigation had been closed seven years ago. He said he hoped the public and media would respect his wish not to make any further comment.

The former Radio 2 breakfast host did not address the substance of the allegations in his statement, nor did he give further detail about what led to his dismissal by the BBC.

The BBC said it had obtained new information in recent weeks and had spoken directly with Mills before taking action.

A spokesperson said: “What we can confirm is that in recent weeks, we obtained new information relating to Scott and we spoke directly with him. As a result, the BBC acted decisively in line with our culture and values and terminated his contracts on Friday 27 March.”

The corporation also confirmed that it is now carrying out further work to establish exactly what was known internally at the time the police investigation first came to its attention in 2017.

Questions are now being asked about whether BBC managers at the time knew the age of the alleged victim, and whether the matter should have been escalated more widely within the organisation.

Mills last presented his Radio 2 breakfast show on Tuesday, March 24, signing off by telling listeners he would be back the following day. He has not returned to air since.

His departure has triggered renewed scrutiny of the BBC’s handling of allegations involving high-profile presenters, particularly in light of the broadcaster’s more recent emphasis on tougher internal standards and a zero-tolerance approach to misconduct.

THE WAY Pembrokeshire residents spend their free time is changing. Across Wales and the broader UK, town centre venues have faced sustained pressure, from rising business rates to changing consumer habits, and smaller communities have not been immune. For many locals, the question of where to find reliable entertainment is becoming less about geography and more about connectivity.

That change is visible in how people are consuming media and leisure content. The Pembrokeshire Herald’s website recorded 1.1 million active users and 4.8 million page views in 2025, up from 937,000 users and 3.9 million page views the previous year. That’s a notable jump that reflects a wider turn toward online platforms for news, information, and entertainment.

Online options filling the entertainment gap

Streaming services, online gaming, and digital content platforms have absorbed much of the leisure time that might once have been spent in physical venues. This trend accelerated during 2020, and consumer habits have not fully reverted since. For residents in rural parts of Pembrokeshire, where a drive to a multiplex or a bowling alley is rarely a casual decision, online alternatives carry obvious appeal.

The convenience factor is particularly significant. For example, Gambling Insider reviewed casino sites and highlighted how platforms now offer hundreds of slot titles, multiple payment options, and live dealer games running around the clock. A player can jump into a blackjack table or spin a football-themed slot within seconds, without leaving the house or working around fixed opening hours.

Residents no longer need to plan an evening around transport or opening hours. Instead, a broadening range of digital entertainment, from on-demand film and TV to interactive games, is available on demand, at any hour, from home.

What local business groups say about the shift

The picture is not entirely bleak for Pembrokeshire’s leisure economy. Tourism remains the foundation of local commercial life, and cultural venues continue to attract audiences. The Torch Theatre in Milford Haven still draws regular visitors, and community events across the county provide in-person experiences that digital platforms cannot replicate.

Tourism in Pembrokeshire supports 23% of all local employment and contributes £604 million to the local economy annually, which underscores how much it depends on keeping residents and visitors engaged with physical spaces. Local business groups broadly acknowledge the dual reality: online entertainment is not displacing Pembrokeshire’s leisure sector outright, but it is reshaping expectations. 

Residents now compare online convenience against any in-person offering, and physical venues are having to work harder to justify the trip. For high street operators, that is both a challenge and a motivation to innovate.