Merlin’s Colin Morgan is to star in spooky new period drama The Living And The Dead from the co-creator of Life On Mars.

The Humans star will join Glue’s Charlotte Spencer in the original thriller, about a young married couple who move to an old farmhouse in Somerset in 1894, only to find their presence has unleashed strange supernatural phenomena which put their marriage to the test.

The pair will star as newlyweds Nathan and Charlotte Appleby in the six-part drama, written by Ashley Pharoah for BBC One.

Colin Morgan
Colin Morgan has a new BBC role (Jonathan Brady/PA)

The 29-year-old actor from Northern Ireland said: “The Living And The Dead is one of those scripts that you read and are instantly compelled and engaged by. It’s intelligent, chilling and engrossing. It’s going to be very special and I can’t wait to start working on it with the wonderful creative team.”

Spencer added: “It’s always been a dream of mine to appear in a period drama and they don’t come better than this – fantastic, original scripts and, in Charlotte Appleby, a superb character who’s strong, passionate and gutsy. Couple this with an incredible director, crew and cast, I can’t wait to get started!”

The BBC Wales production has already begun filming in the West Country.