The Bay | Series 5 Preview (ITV1)

Set in Morecambe, Marsha Thomason remains as Morecambe’s MIU Family Liaison Officer DS Jenn Townsend alongside cast regulars Daniel Ryan, Erin Shanagher and Andrew Dowbiggin.

Olwen May (Happy Valley, Trying) joins the team, Barry Sloane returns as Chris Fischer, Georgia Scholes plays Chris’s daughter Erin, and David Carpenter and Emme Hayes return as Conor and Maddie, Jenn’s children - Suzanne Packer (Casualty, Keeping Faith) joins as Jenn’s mum Anne Townsend.

When 23-year-old university student Hannah is found dead on the edge of the docks, Morecambe’s MIU team has another case to solve - Jenn, who is returning to work following the death of her father, pushes aside her own grief to support Hannah’s bitterly divided family.

With the stakes of the investigation high, Jenn and the team dig deeper into the case, uncovering hidden friendships and secret liaisons as anger rises in the student community. As the intensity increases and the team peel back the complicated layers of Hannah’s life and the secrets within it, Jenn must reconcile her personal and professional struggles as she grapples to solve the case, come to terms with her own loss, and build bridges with her family.

Joining the new series as guest cast are Leanne Best (The Walk-In, Cold Feet), Neil Maskell (Hijack, Kill List), David Troughton (A Very Peculiar Practice, New Tricks), Stephen Wight (Screw, I May Destroy You) and Ceallach Spellman (Better, White Lines). Tara Lynne O’Neill (The Full Monty, Derry Girls) joins as Sinead, DI Tony Manning’s new partner.

The Bay has been praised for its gritty storytelling, strong character development, and for portraying the toll that such intense work takes on the detectives’ own lives and families. The picturesque yet moody setting of Morecambe Bay perfectly captures both the beauty and bleakness of the coastal town, reflecting the darker undercurrents of the cases themselves.

The Bay returns Sunday 2nd March on ITV1.