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Future of gritty BBC drama ‘with obvious parallels to Netflix’s Adolescence’ revealed
THE first two series of Time won praise and awards, and now I can reveal the prison drama will be back for a third stretch.
Written once more by the acclaimed Jimmy McGovern, filming is set to start later this year with a view to potentially airing on BBC One in 2026.
The debut season was set in a men’s jail, the second a female-only facility, and this run of episodes will take place in an institution for young offenders.
A TV insider said: “The parallels between the new show’s central topic and Netflix’s recent hit, Adolescence, are obvious, but entirely coincidental.
“Though both deal with adolescent offending and its consequences, the third series of Time would most likely have gone down this path anyway.
“But it is certainly a theme which will prove highly immersive for audiences who have already been introduced to the world of young offenders through Adolescence.
“It’s not clear yet which actors will take the lead in the new show, but the lead roles are guaranteed to be sought after.”
The first series of Time aired on BBC One in 2021, starring Stephen Graham as a prison guard and Sean Bean as a lag.
At the 2022 BAFTA TV Awards, it won Best Mini-Series, while Sean scooped the Best Actor gong and Stephen was nominated for Best Supporting Actor.
Season two aired in 2023, also on BBC One, starring Jodie Whittaker, fresh from playing the Doctor in Doctor Who, and The Last Of Us star Bella Ramsey.
But before taking us back behind bars, writer Jimmy is likely to be preoccupied with the publicity for his next BBC show, Unforgivable, which stars Anna Friel, David Threlfall and Anna Maxwell Martin.
Set and filmed in Liverpool, the BBC Two and iPlayer fictional drama will look at the impact of grooming and sexual abuse on a family, and is expected to air later this year.
The BBC was approached for comment.
Dancers go on the run
There’ll soon be more than one TV show offering an interesting Strictly pairing.
I can reveal that pro dancers Carlos Gu and Amy Dowden, who are also gearing up for this year’s BBC dance contest, are forming a duo for the next Celebrity Hunted on Channel 4.
They’ll be joined on the series, which has yet to get an air date, by Love Island hunks Chris Taylor and Toby Aromolaran, who’ll also form a pair.
Former EastEnders star Brian Conley and his daughter Lucy, who’s also an entertainer, join the line up.
And yesterday Scarlette Douglas and her brother Stuart – hosts of Channel 4’s Worst House On The Street – were also announced as contestants.
As they all go on the run, it’s likely Amy and Carlos will be lightest on their feet.
The BBC’s hunt for the next John Motson lands today.
Last Pundit Standing airs on iPlayer, TikTok and YouTube and follows 12 passionate footie fans competing for a job on BBC Sport.
Ex-player Troy Deeney hosts with YouTube football guru James Allcott.
Frank feels the heat
TV host and comedian Frank Skinner ended up in A&E last week after getting sunburnt digging up a body in last week’s heatwave.
It wasn’t even for any kind of show, he just decided to take part in an archaeological dig for fun in his own time.
Talking on the latest episode of his podcast Frank On The Radio, which has recently dropped, the comic explained: “I was exhuming an Anglo-Saxon body.
“I was given a grave, you’re working away and then a skull appears.
“I really hate sun block so I don’t normally use it, I just think: ‘Keep an eye on the clock – 20 minutes on my front, 20 minutes on my back’.
“But it was so hot last Monday – I actually ended up in A&E I was so badly burnt.”
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