How many episodes are in ITV's McDonald and Dodds as drama returns for season 4?

McDonald and Dodds is set to return to ITV for a fourth series. The Bath-based show will see Jason Watkins and Tala Gouveia reprise their roles as DCI Lauren McDonald and DS Dodds, with a host of guest stars including Toby Stephens from Lost In Space, singer and The Voice Kids UK star Pixie Lott, and Lydia Leonard from Gentleman Jack.

In essence, McDonald and Dodds centres around two mismatched police officers from different backgrounds who team up to solve mysteries in the city of Bath. Speaking about the overall concept of the series, Tala said: "McDonald and Dodds is a detective show set in beautiful Bath and the surrounding areas."

"It's about two detectives from different walks of life, who despite their differences, work together to become an unstoppable team. It has all the things we know and love from classic British detective shows, and has been brought into the modern world in intricate, original stories by writer Robert Murphy."

Typically, each series of McDonald and Dodds consists of several feature-film length episodes, each running for approximately two hours. But how many episodes can viewers expect in season four?

Series four comprises three feature-length films. The first, titled The Rule of Three, is scheduled to air on Sunday, July 21, between 8pm and 10pm.

A synopsis for the series reads: "When McDonald and Dodds discover the body of a woman that's been missing for over 35 years, they are sucked into an investigation that brings them into the dark heart of one of Bath's wealthiest families."

The second episode, which will air the following week, is called Jinxy Sings The Blues and will see McDonald and Dodds sucked into a mystery involving a priceless artefact.

Number three in the series is called Wedding Fever. A synopsis reads: "It's peak wedding season in Bath, and there's a race against time for McDonald and Dodds when a spate of suspicious deaths affects ceremonies across the city."

"With the team's resources already stretched to their limit, a series of cryptic calls to the local radio station threatens more to come. A deadly game of cat and mouse ensues that will push McDonald and Dodds, and their relationship, to the limit."

McDonald and Dodds returns to ITV1 on Sunday, July 21 at 8pm