If you’ve been itching to return to Calder Valley for another case since the finale of Happy Valley, we’ve found the perfect alternative. ITV’s exceptionally good crime drama Passenger combines the same kind of close-knit northern community and a gripping central mystery, but there’s a sinister twist. Word of warning: once you start, you’re going to want to watch the entire series in one sitting.

The series, which first aired on ITV in 2024, follows former city detective Riya Ajunwa (Wunmi Mosaku) who finds herself stuck policing in her ex-husband’s sleepy village. But when a local girl mysteriously vanishes, Riya soon realises Chadder Vale is hiding a dark web of secrets and the disappearance is just the tip of the iceberg.

Intrigued? With the series available to stream now, here’s everything you need to know about Passenger, including the cast, plot and how to watch it.

What is Passenger about?

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Matt Squire

The six-part drama takes us to the village of Chadder Vale, where a close-knit community is torn apart after a slew of strange and unnatural crimes. The series follows former Metropolitan Police detective Riya Ajunwa (Wunmi Mosaku), who moved from London five years ago to be close to her ex-husband’s family.

Now her husband is out of the equation, she’s left looking after his mentally unwell mother. Her case load is made up of menial crimes, such as missing cats and bins. Riya longs for the excitement and challenge of cracking big-time city cases.

Then, local girl Kate Wells (Rowan Robinson) disappears one night. Her car is found abandoned and there’s blood on the seats. But before the village can comprehend what happened, she bizarrely reappears the next day, safe and sound. Where did she go? And what’s behind the gory stains in her car?

What to read next

The residents are unmoved by the events and quickly return to normal life. But Riya is unsettled and convinced something isn’t right. Her worst suspicions are confirmed when something supernatural takes hold of Chadder Vale and a chain of increasingly unnerving crimes unfolds. The residents start resorting to short-sighted theories and blame outsiders, while Riya is convinced something more chilling is at play and starts to unearth a creepy conspiracy.

‘For Riya, Chadder feels like a safe space in a way, but there’s also a lot of frustration,’ Wunmi told Stylist about the prevalence of fear in the series. ‘It’s fear that keeps her there and it’s fear that affects and shapes the local community. What do we do when we have to face those feelings? And to what lengths do we go to avoid facing those fears?’

Who’s in the cast of Passenger?

person with long hair gazing upward in a dark snowy forest.
ITV

The cast of Passenger includes:

  • Wunmi Mosaku (Loki, Damilola, Our Loved Boy) as Detective Riya Ajunwa
  • David Threlfall (Shameless, Funny Woman) as Jim Bracknell
  • Daniel Ryan (The Bay) as Derek Jackson
  • Rowan Robinson (So Awkward) as Katie Wells
  • Barry Sloane (Six) as Eddie Wells
  • Natalie Gavin (Gentleman Jack) as Joanne Wells
  • Nico Mirallegro (My Mad Fat Diary, Rillington Place) as Kane Jackson
  • Hubert Hanowicz (This Is Going To Hurt) as Jakub Makowski
  • Jack James Ryan (Coronation Street) as John Trowbridge
  • Matilda Freeman (Alma’s Not Normal) as Lilly Wells
  • Shervin Alenabi (Baghdad In My Shadow) as Mehmet Shah
  • Ella Bruccoleri (Call The Midwife) as Ali Day
  • Arian Nik (The Bay) as Nish Chowdry

Is there a trailer for Passenger?

Yes, you can watch the trailer for Passenger below:

Is Passenger any good?

In one word – yes! It’s the written debut of Broadchurch’s Andrew Buchan, and Happy Valley fans will instantly recognise the same small-town claustrophobia and dark atmosphere. Wunmi is mesmerising as Riya, balancing the drama’s heavier moments with dry humour and piercing one-liners.

How can I watch Passenger?

You can watch Passenger now on ITVX.

What other crime dramas can I watch now?

to take her mind off her breakup, agatha and the gang visit a fayre. but it's not long before the innocuous event becomes a crime scene.
Sky

For a cosier crime drama, we’d suggest Agatha Raisin, in which PR hotshot turned private detective Agatha (Shetland’s Ashley Jensen) tackles crimes in the fictional Cotswold village of Carsely. Agatha Raisin is available to stream now on Acorn TV via Prime Video. For something darker, try the thriller White Lies, which follows journalist Edie Hansen (Natalie Dormer) as she investigates an exclusive gated community in Cape Town after her brother’s murder. White Lies is available to watch now on Channel 4.