Detective series 55 Degree North offers roles for an array of actors from the North-East.

ANDREW DUNN (Sergeant Rick Astel).

The Newcastle-born actor is recognisable from Victoria Wood's dinnerladies and played Liz McDonald's lover in Coronation Street. He also played Downing Street spin doctor Alastair Campbell in The Rory Bremner Show. When they met at a political correspondents' dinner at Westminster, Campbell looked him up and down and said, "You're rather fat, aren't you? I wouldn't wear any of those clothes."

MARK STOBBART (PC Clark).

Prepared for his 55 Degrees North role by talking to policeman. "Considering all the dramas the police in this series have to cope with over just six weeks or so, I don't think I could deal with a job like that in real life," says the Stockton-raised actor. "But they all absolutely love the job. There are stresses and paperwork, and quotas of people needing to do so many arrests each day, but overall it seems positive".

EMMA CLEASBY (Sergeant Brookes).

Has acquired a cult following after playing a werewolf in the horror movie Dog Soldiers. "When it was in the cinema it did well but has done incredibly well on DVD, and people stop me far more often now and say they watch it every Friday night," says Cleasby, who grew up in Northumberland. She has a memento of the movie - her wolf teeth.

MICHAEL HODGSON (DS Frank Maguire).

Previously worked with 55 Degrees North writer Tim Prager on BBC1's Two Thousand Acres Of Sky. Took advice on police procedure from his partner, actress Libby Davison, who played DI Liz Rawton in The Bill. Two years ago they moved back to the North-East together and now live in Newcastle. He only goes to London for auditions and work. "It's quite a distance but that's the price I decided to pay for the benefits of living up here," he says.

DARREN MORFITT (DS Patrick Yates).

The Hartlepool actor describes Yates as "all sharp suits and smart comments", as well as "selfish, highly ambitious and driven". Morfitt has several high profile programmes to his credit, including Grifters, Warriors and werewolf movie Dog Soliders (with 55 Degrees North co-star Emma Cleasby) but is happy to remain anonymous. "I'm one of those people who works all the time but keeps his head down and doesn't get much recognition. I'm interested in good scripts and working with good people."

CHRISTIAN RODSKA (DI Dennis Carter).

Filming in Newcastle represented a personal homecoming - he was born in Cullercoats. His mother was a Geordie and his father a Dane, a sailor who was harbourmaster in Basra, Iraq, after the Second World War. "I keep meaning to come more often because it's so beautiful here," he says. "It's a wonderful city now. If you go down to the Tyne, for instance, and look up at those three or four bridges. The Millennium Bridge alone is a wonderful bit of architecture."