Omnibus Part 1

By Matthew Broughton

Snowdonia, 1980. It's the dawn of a new decade and the future is coming. But in the wilds of Snowdonia, the ancient history of the landscape is hard to escape. Rachel Turner is looking for fossils with her four-year-old son, Joe. But when a freak earthquake shakes the land beneath their feet, Joe vanishes. With the help of two locals, Rachel embarks on a desperate search to find her son. But as darkness descends, the secrets hidden in the ancient forests of the mountain are uncovered.

The first series of Tracks became the most successful drama series launched by Radio 4 in 2016. Over nine 45 minute episodes it told the story of Dr Helen Ash, as she uncovered a dark medical conspiracy. It received a five-star iTunes rating, was one of Apple's chosen podcasts of the year 2016, won awards for Best Use of Sound (Audio Drama Awards) and Best Fiction (British Podcast Awards) and is nominated for Best Series at the Prix Europa.

Tracks: Strata is a prequel to series one, set thirty-six years before the events that rocked the life of Helen Ash. It stars Fiona O'Shaughnessy (Utopia), Kai Owen (Torchwood) and Robert Pugh (Game of Thrones). Told over six fifteen minute episodes, the drama is an 'online first' commission for Radio 4 - it will be serialised as a podcast online before being broadcast on air as two forty-five minute Afternoon Dramas.

Tracks: Strata explores the roots of a conspiracy that's set to envelop the world in the third series, which will arrive on Radio 4 next year.

Directed by James Robinson
A BBC Cymru Wales Production.