Bella Ramsey, Jodie Whittaker and Siobhan Finneran join Time season 2

Siobhan Finneran (Happy Valley) will also be reprising her role from season 1 as Marie-Louise, the prison chaplain.

The second run will be co-written by the returning Jimmy McGovern (Broken, Cracker, The Street) and Helen Black, the writer of BBC Three's BAFTA-nominated Life and Death in the Warehouse.

The first season of the acclaimed drama focused on a male prison and followed Stephen Graham and Sean Bean in their very different but somewhat similar emotional experiences being and working in the prison system.

Graham starred as morally compromised prison officer Eric McNally, while Bean starred as Mark Cobden, a former teacher consumed by guilt and haunted by demons from his own past.

This time round, though, the new original story will be told through the lens of three very different inmates in a women's prison.

The synopsis for the upcoming season reads: "Time is a moving and high-stakes portrayal of life inside a women's prison. 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."

Ramsey – who recently won acclaim for their enthralling lead role as Ellie in HBO's The Last of Us – said of their involvement: "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."

Similarly, Whittaker said: "Time was such an incredible and powerful show created by an extraordinary team, and being a part of this project in its second iteration is an absolute dream."

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Speaking about her new role, Lawrance says: "Being a part of women-centred stories and productions is very important to me, as well as projects that challenge a prejudice.

"Time series 2 humanises a sector of society that is too often and easily vilified by elucidating the layered reasons why people end up in the criminal (in)justice system. I'm excited for us to platform the complexity of these characters and their experiences."

On reprising her role for a second time round, Finneran – who was most recently seen on our screens in the third and final season of Happy Valley – also said: "I am delighted to be returning for Time 2. It was a privilege to be involved in the first series and to be asked back is an honour, the scripts are again heartbreakingly brilliant."

The first season of Time was a major hit, averaging 11.6 million viewers across its three-part run and going on to win the 2022 BAFTA Television award for best mini-series.

Time season 1 is available to watch now on BBC iPlayer. Visit our Drama hub for more news, interviews and features, or find something to watch now with our TV Guide and Streaming Guide.

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