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Jimmy McGovern's critically acclaimed crime anthology Time is returning for its third season. Gritty and moving, the BBC drama has consistently attracted top-tier talent.
The first season was set in a male prison and followed Sean Bean (Game of Thrones, This City is Ours) as a former teacher consumed by guilt after killing someone in a drink-driving accident, experiencing prison for the first time. Stephen Graham (Adolescence, This Is England) played a prison officer trying to protect his family while being blackmailed by inmates.
The second season moved to a female prison, focusing on three women navigating incarceration. Jodie Whittaker (Broadchurch, Doctor Who) played Orla, a first-time offender and mother of three, striving to keep her children out of care while serving a six-month sentence for electricity theft. Bella Ramsey (The Last of Us, Game of Thrones) portrayed Kelsey, a young, pregnant heroin addict facing childbirth behind bars, while Tamara Lawrance (Get Millie Black, The Long Song) took on Abi, a lifer imprisoned for murdering her baby and harbouring a dark secret.
Both performances earned strong critical praise, and the debut season won two BAFTAs: Best Mini-Series and Best Actor for Sean Bean.
The upcoming third season is set in a young offenders institute and stars David Tennant (Doctor Who, Broadchurch) as Prison Officer Bailey, alongside returning star Siobhan Finneran (Happy Valley) as Prison Chaplain Marie-Louise.
Marie-Louise arrives at the YOI having lost her faith. When a tragedy strikes within the prison, she clashes with veteran officer Bailey, a man grappling with his own crisis. Bailey knows more about the circumstances surrounding the incident, but will he confess before guilt overwhelms him?
Meanwhile, two teenage inmates, Peter and James, face the terrifying first weeks of incarceration. Can James confront his broken family after committing an unforgivable act of violence? Will Peter reveal the truth about the death of an innocent man, or will loyalty to family take precedence? An unlikely friendship forms between them, potentially altering the trajectory of their lives, but in a volatile environment, can real change ever happen?
Series creator and writer Jimmy McGovern said: “Siobhan Finneran is back! We've got a wonderful leading man in David Tennant and a brilliant director in Paul Whittington. I think it’s going to be wonderful.”
Time seasons 1 and 2 are available to stream on BBC iPlayer.
Arabella Horspool is a Commercial Content Writer for Yours at Bauer Media. A devoted bookworm and TV fan, she’s always immersed in the latest shows or catching the newest films and theatre productions. When she’s not writing, Arabella enjoys cooking and exploring the outdoors with her three dogs.