Time, the BAFTA-winning prison drama written by Jimmy McGovern, has just been given an exciting season three update, with a first look at David Tennant in his new role.
Joining for the third season of the returning crime series, Tennant will play the character of Bobby Bailey, a Custodial Manager at the Young Offenders Institution where Time‘s next instalment will be set. The Rivals and Doctor Who star can be seen in-character, in new stills that have been released today.
Siobhan Finneran will be returning to the BBC drama, reprising her role as chaplain Marie-Louise O’Dell, who has been a fixture of the series since its premiere season in 2023.
The popular actor, best known for roles in Happy Valley and more recently Netflix’s Unchosen, can also be seen in the newly released pictures.
Also featuring in the first look, and appearing in season three of Time, are Jo Joyner (who previously starred in Harlan Coben’s Stay Close, as well as thriller Little Disasters which is trending now on Channel 5), and The Bay‘s Daniel Ryan.
Vinette Robinson, who you’ll probably recognise from Boiling Point and ITV thriller Six Four, is also among the cast. Louis McCartney (Hope Street), Ollie McNulty, and Chukwubuikem Molokwu are playing the roles of three young offenders – James, Peter and Christopher – in the drama.
The synopsis for Time season three teases some tension between Finneran’s Marie-Louise and Tennant’s officer. “Prison Chaplain Marie-Louise comes to the YOI having lost her faith,” it reads.
“When tragedy strikes in the prison, Marie-Louise clashes with veteran officer Bailey, a man in the midst of his own crisis. Bailey knows more about the circumstances that led to this major incident – but will he come clean before the guilt gets too much?”
“Meanwhile, two teenage young offenders, Peter and James, struggle through the terrifying first weeks and months of their incarceration,” the show’s description continues.
“Can James ever face his broken parents after an unforgivable act of violence and will Peter tell the truth about the death of an innocent man, or does family loyalty mean more? An unlikely friendship between them looks to shift the trajectory of their futures, but in an increasingly unstable environment, is change ever possible?”
Set to be a three-part series, Time‘s third instalment will be directed by Paul Whittington (Dear England) and produced by Amanda Black (Blue Lights).
The first two seasons were widely well received by critics and viewers. The first, which starred Stephen Graham and Sean Bean, currently boasts a perfect 100% score on Rotten Tomatoes, while the second – which welcomed Jodie Whittaker, Bella Ramsey, and Tamara Lawrance to the main cast – holds an impressive 93% score.
“Equally as good as the superb 1st series. Another Jimmy McGovern masterpiece,” one audience member wrote.
“The first series was truly a highpoint in British drama and this powerful follow-up is worthy of the same consideration,” read a review (via Perth Now).
Time season three is expected to arrive to BBC iPlayer and BBC One later this year. Time seasons 1 and 2 are available now on BBC iPlayer.