Unforgotten season 6: Release date, plot, trailer and latest news

Speaking exclusively to RadioTimes.com ahead of the new season, the series stars reflected on their characters' rocky start in season 5 and how things pan out for their own working relationship in this coming season.

Bhaskar revealed: "I mean, for me, it’s a continuation of their relationship that started in season 5. For me, by the end of season 5, they have that one scene where they kind of open up to each other. That was a really vital moment in their relationship.

"There’s an element of trust in their working relationship now; Jess doesn’t think that Sunny’s a threat, he doesn’t think that she’s a threat to the way he works and everything.

"In terms of their personal lives, I don’t think they know each other that well yet. So, they do hold back on that, as you would with co-workers."

Unforgotten fans will be pleased to know that the new season will be landing on our screens this week, with Jessica and Sunny set to take on yet another complicated case that weaves in characters from all walks of life.

After discovering some suspected human remains on Whitney Marsh, they soon find out that the remains are relatively recent and that the body was placed on the marsh already dismembered.

But who's set to star in the new season? Read on for everything you need to know about the sixth season of Unforgotten.

Unforgotten season 6 release date

Unforgotten season 6 is set to premiere on ITV1 (and STV in Scotland) on Sunday 9th February at 9pm, with all episodes of the season available to stream on ITVX as a box set on the same day.

The series was renewed back in April 2023 after the season 5 finale had aired on ITV1.

The renewal announcement was always likely for the crime drama, especially seeing as season 5's premiere episode alone was the most-watched programme on ITV in 2023, going on to become the number 1 drama on ITV1 and ITVX last year.

The fifth season averaged over 8 million viewers, so it's safe to say many people will be tuning in to see what happens in season 6.

Unforgotten season 6 cast

Sinéad Keenan's DCI Jessica 'Jessie' James and Sanjeev Bhaskar's DI Sunny Khan will be returning in season 6, so fans can anticipate seeing how their initially rocky dynamic continues to level out and become a very heartwarming working relationship.

Their investigating team will also be reunited to tackle more cold cases, with Jordan Long as DS Murray Boulting returning, as well as Carolina Main as DS Fran Lingley, Pippa Nixon as DC Karen Willets and Georgia Mackenzie as pathologist Dr Leanne Balcombe.

It's also been confirmed who else will be joining the cast in new roles, with the likes of Victoria Hamilton (Cobra) and MyAnna Buring (The Responder) joining, as well as acting newcomers Max Fairley and Elham Elas.

Legendary British actors Jan Francis and Damien Molony will also star, with Andrew Lancel (Bolan’s Shoes) reprising his role as Jess’s husband Steve and Kate Robbins (The Couple Next Door) as her mother Kate.

The series is always home to a guest cast of amazing talent who star as people somehow involved in the case, with the synopsis reading: "In the meantime, we’re introduced to outspoken television commentator Melinda Ricci (MyAnna Buring), who is based in Ireland and renowned for her forthright views, Martin 'Marty' Baines (Max Fairley), an autistic man who lives with his mother, Dot, in Deal, Kent, Asif Syed (Elham Elas), an Afghan who speaks fluent English and is training for his UK citizenship test, and Juliet Cooper (Victoria Hamilton), who is a history lecturer and faculty head at a central London University.

"Each of these characters live separate lives, yet they are intrinsically linked by their past, and it’s for Jess, Sunny and their team to unravel these connections in search of the truth, and ultimately who perpetrated the cold case murder."

The confirmed cast list for Unforgotten season 6 is as follows:

• Sinéad Keenan as DCI Jessica 'Jessie' James
• Sanjeev Bhaskar as DI Sunny Khan
• Jordan Long as DS Murray Boulting
• Carolina Main as DS Fran Lingley
• Pippa Nixon as DC Karen Willets
• Georgia Mackenzie as Dr Leanne Balcombe
• MyAnna Buring as Melinda Ricci
• Andrew Lancel as Steve
• Kate Robbins as Kate
• Maximilian Fairley as Martin ‘Marty’ Baines
• Elham Elas as Asif Syed
• Victoria Hamilton as Juliet Cooper
• Emmett J Scanlan as Patrick
• Ahmad Sakhi as Hassan
• Michele Dotrice as Dot Baines
• Adrian Rawlins as Paul Merrick
• Pixie Davies as Taylor Cooper
• Kate Robbins as Kate
• Gráinne Keenan as Debbie
• Charles Abomeli as Dr Renfield
• Lisa Davina Phillip as Doreen
• David Witts as Sam
• Andrew Paul as David Prentice
• Fiona Dolman as Alison Rowe
• Jan Francis as Hilary
• Damien Molony as Father Luke Ryan

What is Unforgotten season 6 about?

This new season of Unforgotten has nearly been a decade in the making, according to series creator Chris Lang.

Speaking on the announcement of filming getting under way on the new season, Lang said: "I'm incredibly excited to be about to start filming the sixth series of Unforgotten, with a story that has been gestating for nearly eight years, since 23rd June 2016, when our country seemed to fracture in two.

"The UK, and indeed the world, has today never seemed more divided, and series six attempts to try and understand how we got to where we are now and, perhaps more importantly, where we can go from here."

The series synopsis for season 6 reads: "When suspected human remains are discovered on Whitney Marsh, Jess and Sunny are called to the scene, ditching their respective plans for the evening much to Jess’s husband Steve’s chagrin.

"With Dr Balcombe’s expert analysis of the human spine, it’s evident the remains are relatively recent, and her guess is the body was put there already dismembered.

"With this knowledge, Jess and Sunny begin to search the area, believing other body parts may not be too far away."

Each of the new six episodes has been written by Lang and will be directed by Andy Wilson (Ripper Street, Spooks), who has been the sole director at the helm of each of the 30 episodes across the previous five seasons.

Is there a trailer for Unforgotten season 6?

Yes! The trailer for Unforgotten is currently airing across ITV and was released on the show's official Facebook account, with it teasing a glimpse into the motives for the murder at the centre of the season.

You can watch it now.

Unforgotten season 6 will premiere on ITV1 (and STV in Scotland) on Sunday 9th February at 9pm, with all episodes of the season available to stream on ITVX as a boxset on the same day. Seasons 1-5 are available to stream on ITVX.

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