Time season 3 with David Tennant finally gets release date confirmed with special bonus for fans

Three years after the second season aired, and five years after Jimmy McGovern's acclaimed prison drama Time first arrived on the BBC, it has now been confirmed when the third run of the series will air.

Fans will get to watch all episodes of the new season on Sunday 11 October on BBC iPlayer, while the first instalment will air that same day at 9pm on BBC One. Meanwhile, the second episode will air just one day later on the channel, at 9pm on Monday 12 October.

Like with previous three-part runs of the show, the new season will tell a new story, this time set in a Young Offender's Institute (YOI), although Siobhan Finneran will be reprising her role as chaplain Marie-Louise O’Dell.

Others who will star include David Tennant as Bobby Bailey, a veteran officer at the YOI, Daniel Ryan as Freddie Jennings, a custodial manager at the YOI, Jo Joyner as Nicola, Vinette Robinson as Erica, Louis McCartney as James, Ollie McNulty as Peter and Chukwubuikem Molokwu as Christopher.

The synopsis for season 3 says: "Prison Chaplain Marie-Louise comes to the YOI having lost her faith. When tragedy strikes in the prison, Marie-Louise clashes with veteran officer Bailey, a man in the midst of his own crisis. Bailey knows more about the circumstances that led to this major incident – but will he come clean before the guilt gets too much?

"Meanwhile, two teenage young offenders, Peter and James, struggle through the terrifying first weeks and months of their incarceration. Can James ever face his broken parents after an unforgivable act of violence and will Peter tell the truth about the death of an innocent man, or does family loyalty mean more?

"An unlikely friendship between them looks to shift the trajectory of their futures, but in an increasingly unstable environment, is change ever possible?"

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The first season of Time starred Sean Bean and Stephen Graham, while season 2 starred Jodie Whittaker, Tamara Lawrance and Bella Ramsey. All three outings have featured Finneran in the cast.

Time season 3 will arrive on BBC iPlayer on Sunday 11 October.

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Authors

James Hibbs is a Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering programmes across both streaming platforms and linear channels. He previously worked in PR, first for a B2B agency and subsequently for international TV production company Fremantle. He possesses a BA in English and Theatre Studies and an NCTJ Level 5 Diploma in Journalism.