Who’s Who on ITV’s The Bay Season Four

In season four of ITV’s The Bay, late at work one night, DS Jenn Townsend (Marsha Thomason), the Family Liaison Officer for the Morecambe Police, receives a call about a serious situation. She rushes to the scene, where she discovers the Metcalf family’s growing tragedy. Jenn needs to earn their trust as they grieve so that she can share information with the team and get to the bottom of what happened.

Here’s a run down of all the characters in the series and who plays them.

DS JENN TOWSEND
Played by Marsha Thomason
Jenn Townsend is warm, engaging and optimistic. She approaches her job with positivity rather than cynicism, although she has a steeliness to her that shouldn’t be underestimated particularly when it comes to those she’s close to. Having already spent a year working in the MIU team after moving from Manchester, she finally feels like she’s earned her place and is enjoying being settled in her home in Morecambe with her blended family. That’s not without its challenges though; juggling multiple murder investigations alongside the needs of her teenage kids is far from straightforward.

DI TONY MANNING
Played by Daniel Ryan
DI Manning appears to have finally found his focus again after weathering the storm of his divorce last year. Usually meticulous at keeping his personal and professional lives separate, will Manning be able to keep it up when he’s under pressure to solve multiple cases and his love life starts to interfere? All the while his department is under scrutiny to be efficient. Manning fights to keep the team united and on track to ensure Beth’s killer is caught; all the while he’s got serious questions where he really belongs.

DS KAREN HOBSON
Played by Erin Shanagher
Having been part of the MIU for a couple of years now, Karen Hobson (42) has well and truly earned her place in the team. She’s struck up a close friendship with fellow FLO Jenn, and while their approaches may be different, they’re a strong team, working together to best support the victims’ families. Sensitive and supportive, Karen is upset to learn that Jenn is withholding information from her. Leaving her questioning if their once formidable friendship might not be a two-way street.

DS JAMES “CLARKIE” CLARKE
Played by Andrew Dowbiggin
Clarkie loves his job in the Morecambe MIU. He’s the person you send in when you don’t mind a bit of confrontation, but he’s an absolute stickler for justice – he sees the world in black and white; there’s right and there’s wrong. Clarkie’s a bit of a joker but when it comes to his job he takes it seriously. He doesn’t let others run rings around him and that’s what the team needs if Beth’s case is going to be solved.

DC EDDIE MARTIN
Played by Thomas Law
Eddie Martin has carved out his niche as being the slightly geeky member of the MIU team. Nervous but observant and tech savvy, he often spots things that others miss which means Manning and the team have come to rely on him more than ever. As the MIU’s workload increases and the team are forced to do more with less resources, he’s become one of the team’s greatest assets. He feels the pressure, and attempts to prove he’s tough enough to handle the job and help the team get results.

CHRIS FISCHER
Played by Barry Sloane
Chris Fischer is one of life’s optimists. He thrives on the youthful energy of the students at his job as Deputy Head at Sandylands School. Now settled in his long-term relationship with Jenn, he’s never been happier, living with his daughter Erin and Jenn’s two kids, Conor and Maddie. His relationship will be tested though by his daughter Erin reaching the end of her teenage years, leaving Chris trying to adapt to her growing up and his ever-changing family dynamics.

ERIN FISCHER
Played by Georgia Scholes
Erin Fischer is an intelligent and headstrong teenager with a rebellious streak. Perhaps because her father is the Deputy Head at her school, she’s determined to show her independence and autonomy. She’s keenly aware of how other people see her, especially the other students. She really wants to live her own life without having her Dad checking up on her. Superficially, she has a good relationship with her mum, but she sees her for who she really is and the older Erin gets the more she understands what led to her parent’s divorce. Erin’s come to terms with her dad’s relationship with Jenn and has moved past any resentment she had towards her or her kids last year. As step mum figures go, Jenn’s one of the good ones.

CONOR TOWNSEND
Played by David Carpenter
Conor Townsend is smart and while this grants him academic success, it doesn’t necessarily equal sociability. His awkwardness acts as a barrier, and it takes him a long time to form new relationships. While it’s taken him time to settle into his new living arrangements and life in Morecambe, he’s finally happy. He’s made new friends and is in a relationship with someone who truly understands him. This new relationship can be all consuming, and that has left him distracted and somewhat blind to the problems of those that he is closest to.

MADDIE TOWNSEND
Played by Emme Haynes
Maddie Townsend tries to be kind to everyone, possessing positivity and intelligence that make her welcome company for both adults and other kids. Having a small group of friends, she likes to always see the positive side of things, mostly for her mum’s sake because she doesn’t like to cause her any more troubles; she’s got enough things to be stressed about in her job. Maddie prefers to put a brave face on things, even when life is getting hard and tensions escalate, she finds it hard to open up and ask for help.

DEAN METCALF
Played by Joe Armstrong
Close friends say that deep down Dean Metcalf is a solid family man, but outsiders may get the impression he is emotionally guarded and unable to express his feelings. He’s deeply private which could leave others wondering whether he has something to hide. Morecambe born-and-bred, Dean was once a fun-loving and driven family man, but the pressure of supporting his family through running his own groundworks business has left him harried, snappy and his wife doing the lion’s share of the childcare. While he certainly loves his family, he no longer really knows how to show it. Nor does he know what is going on in their lives. With Beth tragically torn away from them, Dean must find a way to navigate being a single-father of four.

MATT METCALF
Played by Tom Taylor
The oldest of the Metcalf children, Matt, is creative, loves photography, and has a big heart, especially when it comes to his brother and sisters. Just a couple of weeks from leaving home, he’ll be the first member of the Metcalf family to go to university and that’s something his parents are quietly very proud of. He was ready to start his exciting new chapter, but with the enormous loss of his mum, and Dean focusing on building the business, he’s forced to put on a brave face and consider shelving his future plans. However, as things get tougher and tensions with his dad escalate, Matt’s left wondering if his plans for the future are merely fantasy.

IZZY METCALF
Played by Eloise Thomas
Izzy Metcalf is a headstrong, independent, and often rebellious teenager. She’s bright, but gets frustrated and lashes out. When she was younger she was inseparable from Dean, but as the teenage years kicked in, they grew increasingly distant. Focused mainly on how others perceive her, she gets consumed in her own teenage dramas. From relationships to starting fights, she knows how to attract trouble. With the loss of Beth, Izzy is forced to address her true feelings for her dad and deal with the age-old teenage battle of loving her family but wanting to be elsewhere.

JONAS METCALF
Played by Will Oldfield
Jonas Metcalf is kind, sensitive, and very much his mother’s child. Protective of his younger sister Amy, Jonas always puts his family first despite sometimes being ignored and fading into the background. He’s observant, and intelligent, nosily picking up on the information that passes others by. With the devastating and sudden loss of his mum, Jonas is faced with grief for the first time, and the realisation that things will never be as they were again.

AMY METCALF
Played by Ella Smith
Amy Metcalf, is bright, friendly and shines with positivity. Artistic, she loves to be creative through drawing, painting or her main love – magic. Amy has Down’s Syndrome, and although the overwhelming majority of her care needs were met by Beth, she loves her dad dearly. Amy’s condition brings with it particular challenges not least her dogged need for clear explanations and instructions. Loved immensely, her presence helps to calm tensions and brings her family together.

CARL MCGREGOR
Played by Karl Davies
Carl McGregor was born in Morecambe. Following his mum’s premature death from cancer, and as Terry’s only child, he’s always seeked his dad’s approval. Loyal and tactful, Carl idolises his dad, meaning there was only ever one career option for him, becoming a third-generation builder in the family’s groundworks business ‘McGregor’s’. It’s his birthright, and one day the company will be his. A friend of Dean’s since they were teenagers, Carl’s always been a part of the Metcalf family’s lives. Now with the loss of Beth, Carl wants to be there to support his friend and his kids more than ever.

TERRY MCGREGOR
Played by Ian Puleston-Davies
​​​​Terry McGregor is Morecambe born-and-bred. A second-generation builder, he knows everyone in town. Having worked for McGregors straight out of school and following his father’s death a few years back, he’s now the boss. Specialising in groundworks, Terry isn’t afraid to get his hands dirty. He will help anyone who needs it especially if they have hit hard times. He’s the go-to man about town to get a job done, and he welcomes the respect and status that gives him in the community but he’s no pushover. No one should mistake his kindness for weakness.

JACQUI FISCHER
Played by Claire Goose
Chris’s ex-wife, Jacqui Fischer is recently single following a split from her latest fling. Her quest for fun and excitement is more of a priority than ever. With her daughter Erin having recently turned 18, Jacqui now sees her role as more of a friend than mother. She’s oblivious that her daughter needs stability as she tries to navigate the choppy waters of young adulthood. Insensitive, Jacqui’s devil may care attitude normally sees her through life, but with Jenn and her kids now settled with Chris in her old house, Jacqui has to learn to navigate being on the outside of the family, and realise that her charm has limits.

ALEX KIRBY
Played by Christopher Coghill
In his early 40s, Alex Kirby is rugged but still handsome; you wouldn’t be able to spot the extent of his addiction by his appearance. Guilty of stealing and lying to fund his drug habit, Alex has previously been cut off by his family leaving him spending the last decade befriending anyone who would help him get by. His reappearance in Morecambe may not be entirely grief driven, and the relationship with his sister Beth not all that it seems.

The Bay is currently airing Wednesday nights at 9.00pm on ITV1.