{"id":9906,"date":"2022-01-13T15:42:56","date_gmt":"2022-01-13T14:42:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.radiotimes.com\/?p=1548326"},"modified":"2022-01-13T15:57:07","modified_gmt":"2022-01-13T14:57:07","slug":"the-bay-viewers-praise-marsha-thomasons-new-detective","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/rss_feed\/the-bay-viewers-praise-marsha-thomasons-new-detective\/","title":{"rendered":"The Bay viewers praise Marsha Thomason\u2019s new detective"},"content":{"rendered":"

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By David Craig\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Thursday, 13 January 2022 at 12:00 am<\/p>

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Fans have responded well to Marsha Thomason\u2019s debut as the new star of ITV drama The Bay<\/a>, following the launch of season 3 yesterday evening.<\/p>\n

She plays incoming DS Jenn Townsend, who takes over the troubled patch once looked after by DS Lisa Armstrong (Morven Christie), who led the cast of the previous two seasons.<\/p>\n

Christie opted not to return for a third outing, leaving an important role to be filled on the hit show, with White Collar alum Thomason being announced as her replacement in February 2021.<\/p>\n

Viewers have instantly connected with complex new protagonist DS Townsend, with RadioTimes.com<\/a>\u00a0asking our readers to weigh in with their thoughts on her first appearance.<\/p>\n

One respondent on Twitter described Thomason as \u201calways awesome\u201d, recalling fond memories of watching her in long-running ITV series Where the Heart Is, during her stint on the show between 1998 and \u201999.<\/p>

\u201cI thought she was excellent,\u201d said a fellow\u00a0<\/strong>reader of DS Townsend, \u201cand it was great to see Marsha Thomason back on our screens.\u201d<\/p>\n

Even The Bay co-star Erin Shanagher, who plays DS Karen Hobson on the series, dropped by to voice support for her new colleague\u2019s high-profile role, saying: \u201cI love her!\u201d<\/p>\n

I love her!<\/p>\u2014 Erin Shanagher (@ErinShanagher) January 12, 2022<\/a><\/blockquote>