Prison-based dramas have been a staple of primetime TV for years now, but every now and again, one show breaks through and brings new life to the genre.
Such is the case with Time, a 2021 gritty BBC prison drama written by Jimmy McGovern and starring Sean Bean and Stephen Graham. It was a bold and brutally told story, with ethical dilemmas and high emotions running throughout, as McGovern also took aim at the terrible state of the British industrial prison complex.
The three-part series pulled in an average of 10 million viewers each episode, and despite it being up against the likes of It’s A Sin or the Stephen Lawrence drama, Stephen, Time went on to pick up the best mini-series at the TV Baftas a year later.
Now the BBC have announced a second series of the show, with The Last Of Us’ Bella Ramsey and former Doctor Who Jodie Whittaker in the lead roles. Here’s everything we know so far…
What’s the big idea?
The main shift is that the second outing sees the drama move from a men’s prison to a women’s prison. According to the official synopsis, we can expect “an original new story told through the lens of three very different inmates” with “a moving and high-stakes portrayal of life inside a women’s prison.”
Explaining the plot a little further: “Arriving at Carlingford Prison on the same day, Kelsey (Bella Ramsey), Orla (Jodie Whittaker) and Abi (Tamara Lawrance) are thrown together to face an unfamiliar world. But even with the ever-present threat of violence within its walls, they discover that an unexpected sense of community, and a shared understanding, still might be possible.”
Once again, the filming of the three-part series will be taking place in and around Liverpool, with a prison stand-in for the fictional Carlingford jail.
Who else is appearing in it?
Alongside Ramsey and Whittaker and Get Millie Black’s Lawrance, the brilliant Siobhan Finneran (last seen as Claire in Happy Valley) will be returning to her role as Marie-Louise, the prison chaplain, making her one of the only people to appear in both series of Time.
Ramsey said that landing the role was a dream: “I’m very happy to be a part of this project, working with an incredible team and following on from a stellar first season. And it’s such an honour to be Kelsey, I’m really excited to experience the world through her for a few months.”
Creator Jimmy McGovern was equally hyped for the new castings: “This is the best cast I have ever seen assembled for any drama of mine.”
Is there a trailer?
No, not yet, but we’ll update when we get word.
When will it air?
With filming due to start in spring 2023, the earliest we’d imagine it will appear will be the end of the year, but more probably early 2024.
