Law and Order UK

*Series 6 of Law & Order: UK starts on ITV1 on Friday, January 6*

Former EastEnders star Paul Nicholls joins the cast of Law & Order: UK for series six, filling the vacancy left by Jamie Bamber, whose character DS Matt Devlin was killed at the end of series five.

In fact, Paul's character DS Sam Casey is called in to investigate the shooting, a fact Devlin's partner DS Ronnie Brooks (Bradley Walsh) isn't delighted about.

Paul says: "Sam is driven by his feelings and ruled by his heart. Ronnie can see a mile off every bad mistake Sam makes because he's probably made them all himself."

He continues: "It was terrifying coming onto Law & Order: UK even though everyone was lovely. I think the show is amazing: the production values, the quality of storylines and acting. I'd done all my research, turned up on set all prepared, but they shoot very quickly. If you start off in drama like that from the beginning people find their way through it together, but I walked in and it was all up and running, and I had to run to keep up!

"I can see why people want to be a homicide detective or in CID because in my eyes that kind of public service consumes your whole life. It's all consuming and it takes a certain type of person to be like that; to live through their work and live for it."

The core cast of Law and Order: UK returns for the new series, including Bradley, Harriet Walter, Freema Agyeman, Peter Davison and Dominic Rowan, and producers will be hoping for similar success to the last run - an average audience of 5.6 million.

These seven episodes see the police and legal teams facing a shocking crime captured on video, up against the clock in the search for a hostage, and exposing a tragic, medical cover-up. Cases are reopened, the past threatens to catch up with Ronnie and careers are on the line...

As ever, the guest stars are top quality, including Colin Salmon, Tamzin Outhwaite, Toby Stephens, Eva Pope, Luke Roberts and Tim McInnerny.