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So where do we first meet Eve in the new series?

We meet her in a grander setting then we've previously seen her before in Waking The Dead, on her own research facility The Body Farm, with her partner Mike as well as some younger scientists. She's independent, freelancing, but in need of financial support. This is where DI Hale comes in; Eve has had some involvement with him in the past, and he starts to bring cases to them that he needs help solving.

Have we ever seen The Body Farm before?

In Waking The Dead Eve Lockhart had a very small, very humble shed on some land which was The Body Farm. Grace and Boyd came down to see her there on a couple of different occasions, but it became difficult to embody the concept within such an established show – so it was just occasionally spoken about following that.

What did it feel like bringing the same character into a brand new set with a completely new team of people?

I was very excited – it's sort of like playing with a bigger canvas really. Obviously there were limitations within the format of Waking The Dead in terms of what the forensic scientists could do, and there was a limit to their involvement with the cases. This is a chance for Eve to be something more. I wasn't quite sure what the dynamic would be with the new team, and how they were going to introduce new cases each week, but it's just worked.

As you mentioned, Eve works with a team of other scientists at The Body Farm. How did her team come about and how would you define their working relationship?

I think by necessity when you're working with fellows, you get involved. In Waking The Dead, the overlap between working life and personal life wasn't so obvious, whereas in this situation we are more family-oriented – Eve has hand-picked Oggy and Rosa to be part of her team, and she has a former history with Mike so there is a real sense of personal involvement. Eve and Mike's history is something of a mystery to the audience – we know they've known each other for a long time, 20 years or so, and it's clear that there's something unresolved between them.

What's DI Hale's relationship like with Eve?

I think that's a relationship based on respect, and obviously one which develops based on reciprocal feelings, regarding each others work on various cases. As it develops there's definitely a burgeoning humour and familiarity to their relationship. He brings out Eve's passion for finding out the truth.

What's it been like working with Keith Allen in that role?

I love working with Keith, he's so generous. He doesn't make things more complicated than they have to be, he just gets on with it, and he always brings levity to any situation. He's also very accessible and intelligent and very up for any discussion or change; just a perfect person to work opposite.

What do you find most interesting about playing a forensic scientist?

I find the fact that they're so committed to their work fascinating. They're the unsung heroes as it's very quiet, very disciplined work that they do. I really admire the attention to detail and the specificity of things. I like the microscopic world and also the fact that it's a really changing landscape – new discoveries and advancements in forensic science are being made all the time. I love the fact that things that were inconceivable 20 years ago are now very possible.

Have you done much research for the role?

I have done a lot of research since playing Eve, but I go back, re-read things and study in order to understand whatever I'm doing for each case. I do think it's important to keep it as accurate as possible. Andy Hart, our on-set forensic advisor is also a great help and port of call for advice.

The world of our Body Farm is slightly advanced in terms of time – we're not quite in the here and now – Body Farms don't actually exist in the UK yet, but I find this quite liberating in a way, because it means that we have equipment that is being worked on, developed – but is not actually currently available. I like the feeling in forensics that anything is possible, that there's always more room to search and discover.

How do you handle dealing with all the body parts, blood and prosthetics?

I don't mind the prosthetics actually. Although, there is a particular case featuring maggots early on this series and that is really the only time that I have thought "yuck".

What will we discover in this series about Eve and her work that we haven't known before?

We get a real sense of her passion and determination as a forensic pathologist. I'd be interested to explore her personal life outside of The Body Farm if there were to be a second series – but this series is focused on her work and bringing justice to the victims. It's also about making people aware of the difficult times for forensic science facilities. Last year the closure of the government funded Forensic Science Service was announced and although this is a fictional piece of drama, it's highlighting the specialist work that forensic scientists can provide. Who will continue to develop the new technology to solve crimes or who will provide the expertise for complex investigations in the UK without them?