*This series of Holby Blue screened in 2007*

The set-up is simple enough. A police station, Holby South, set somewhere in the north-west, ordinary bobbies working alongside CID, marriages imploding, fractured work relationships, hard drugs, terrorist threats� So far, so familiar.

But combine the slick style of co-production company Kudos (Life on Mars, Spooks and Hustle), the craft of lead writer Tony Jordan (EastEnders, Hustle, Life on Mars) and acting talents like Footballers� Wives� Zoe Lucker and Tim Piggott-Smith (The Jewel in the Crown) and you have something slightly different from your run-of-the-mill Sun Hill scenario.

Day one at Holby South is DS Luke French�s first day. DCI Harry Hutchison introduces him to his inspector, John Keenan (Sorted�s Cal Macaninch). His mentor has an alarming, unconventional passion for his job and immediately sets Luke to work on a case of domestic violence.

DI Keenan has a bit of a problem differentiating work from leisure. �When you have kids you think your priorities will change, but I don't know how you could possibly switch off from this job when the shift ends,� says Cal.

�Being a policeman must change people because they see the very ugly side of humankind every single day and it's a very violent job; every day there can be punch-ups. John wants to have the streets safe for his kids, his grandchildren and other people's kids.�

Keenan seems on course for another arrest � the cardiac kind. He�s separated and his seduction rate is almost as important to him as his conviction rate. You just know John�s recent fling with Crown prosecutor Rachel Barker (Sara Powell) is going to blow up at some point, especially when his wife, Pc Kate Keenan (Zoe Lucker), decides for some perverse reason to apply for a job at Holby South.

Cal says: �I think Tony (Jordan) wanted John to be a strong copper in his professional life and then, where women are involved, he can't quite say no or doesn't want to offend and be seen as a bad person. He's easily influenced when it comes to women, which is a bit ironic.�

HolbyBlue will appeal to fans of its sister dramas, Holby City and Casualty, even though the BBC insists there�s almost zero overlap. The mix of realism, domestic drama, everything-but-the-kitchen sink crime and petty bureaucracy is calculated to reflect the reality of life in an urban police station.

Grim it may be, but dull it isn�t. HolbyBlue runs for eight episodes on BBC One from Tuesday, May 8.