TIME: JODIE WHITTAKER SET TO STAR IN SECOND SERIES

Time filmed in Liverpool was both a critical and ratings hit in the UK and one of 2021’s highest performing new dramas with nearly 12 million viewers over 30-days for the series overall.

The second series will welcome a new cast and be set in an all-female prison. Time (3x60’) series 2 is written by Jimmy McGovern and is a BBC Studios production for BBC One and iPlayer.

The Sun have revealed that former Doctor Who star Jodie Whittaker is set to lead the cast of the second series, which is due to commence filming this Spring.

A source told The Sun: "This is a fantastic role for Jodie, and not just because she’s joining forces with a top writer and starring in a show which has already proved a hit. Playing a prisoner banged up behind bars is also a massive dep- arture for her, given that she became best known for playing a heroic figure who roamed the universe. But that’s exactly the sort of challenging part Jodie would have wanted."

More details about the second series, including further casting, will be announced in due course.

Series 1

Seen through the eyes of two very different men, Time is a visceral and high-stakes portrayal of life in the modern British penal system. It is a story of guilt and forgiveness, punishment and penitence and the impact that prison has on all those who pass through it. Time is emotional and thrilling, showcasing the performances of two of Britain’s finest and best-loved actors.

Sean Bean takes on the role of Mark Cobden, a teacher, husband and father, who killed an innocent man in an accident. Consumed by guilt, he accepts and even welcomes his four-year sentence. Separated from his family, he has no idea what to expect in this unforgiving new environment and needs to learn quickly how to survive.

Stephen Graham is Eric McNally, a prison officer. Caring and honest, Eric tries his very best to protect those in his charge, something which is a daily challenge in this understaffed and high-tension world. When one of the most dangerous inmates identifies his weakness, Eric faces an impossible choice between his principles and his love for his family.

Both Eric and Mark, officer and inmate, are seemingly trapped by their pasts and unsure of their futures. Each has to not only survive, but to find the strength and the way to move forward.

Time was renewed alongside The Tourist, Vigil and The Responder. Charlotte Moore, BBC Chief Content Officer says: “The BBC is on fire creatively and the return of four of our biggest dramas over the last year demonstrates the sheer scale and range of storytelling on the BBC.”