Every huge star announced for Time’s explosive third series filmed in Belfast

The BBC have released their first look at the third series of BAFTA winning drama

Time is returning to the BBC soon with some huge stars among its cast ahead of an eagerly anticipated comeback.

The BAFTA-winning TV drama, which was filmed in Northern Ireland, follows the impact of prison on those behind both sides of the bars and the writers have teased the new episodes will be “impactful and devastating”.

The third series, written by multi-award-winning screenwriter Jimmy McGovern and Samuel Bailey, is returning to our screens later this year. Set in a Young Offenders Institution, it will explore the impact of locking up teenagers and the effects on those who look after them.

It is made by BBC Studios Fiction for BBC iPlayer and BBC One, in co-production with BritBox with support from Northern Ireland Screen and was filmed in Belfast earlier this year.

While the first series focused on the tension between inmate Mark (Sean Bean) and prison officer Eric (Stephen Graham) and the second looked at the lives of the inmates of a women’s prison, the third series will focus on youth offenders.

Set in a Young Offenders Institution (YOI), it will explore the impact of locking teens up and those with the duty to care for them.

National treasure David Tennant will star as Bobby Bailey, a veteran custodial manager at the YOI. In an initial image from the show, he can be seen looking very seriously at the camera as he sits at a desk in the detention centre whilst wearing his uniform.

Siobhan Finneran, who appeared in the both the first and second series as chaplain Marie-Louise O’Dell, will reprise her role.

In a synopsis for the series, Marie-Louise is set to arrive at the YOI to perform her duties as a prison chaplain, despite having lost her faith. When tragedy strikes the prison, she clashes with Tennant’s Bobby, who knows more about what led to the major incident than he is letting on.

As Bobby struggles with his guilt, two teen offenders, Peter (Ollie McNulty) and James (Louis McCartney) form an unlikely friendship as they face their first weeks of incarceration. James struggles to face his parents having committed an unforgivable act of violence, and Peter has to decide if he will ever tell the truth about the death of an innocent man, or remain loyal to his family.

Alongside Tennant and Finneran, the cast is set to feature EastEnders star Jo Joyner as Nicola, Boiling Point’s Vinette Robinson as Erica Bailey and The Responder’s Warren Brown as Albie. Meanwhile star of Such Brave Girls Daniel Ryan will also be in the show as Custodial Manager Jennings.

The first series won two BAFTAs, one for best mini-series and another for best actor, which went to Sean Bean. Stephen Graham was nominated for best supporting actor.

Meanwhile, the second series won three Royal Television Society Awards. Tamara Lawrence, who played Abi, a mother serving a life sentence after killing her baby whilst suffering from postpartum depression, won the award for leading female actor.

Jodie Whittaker, who played first offender Orla who loses custody of her children whilst in prison, was also nominated. Bella Ramsey, who played Kelsey, a heroin addict who discovers she’s pregnant whilst in prison, won an award for supporting actor.

The third series was confirmed in November 2025.

At the time of its announcement, Samuel Bailey, who co-wrote the series with Jimmy McGovern said: “It’s been an absolute honour to work with Jimmy on Time series 3, and with the brilliant cast put together by the team, I think this series will be just as impactful and devastating as Time 1 and 2.

“I’m particularly excited for audiences to meet the lads playing our young offenders, who are all remarkable actors that I know we’re going to be seeing a lot more of in the future.”

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