Siobhan Finneran and David Tennant prison drama Time confirms release date for season 3

A prison anthology drama featuring returning star Siobhan Finneran alongside David Tennant has just confirmed a release date for its hotly-anticipated third instalment.

Premiered in 2021 on BBC One, Time follows the lives of inmates and staff in UK prisons. Anticipated by some first-look images, season 3 takes place in a Young Offenders Institution (YOI) where prison chaplain Marie-Louise O'Dell (Finneran) clashes with custodial manager Bobby Bailey (Tennant) over a "tragedy".

Season 3 is set to premiere on BBC One at 9pm on 10 October with a first episode, followed by a second airing at the same time on 12 October.

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Created by Jimmy McGovern, Time season 3 also stars Little Disasters' Jo Joyner as Nicola, The Bay's Daniel Ryan as custodial manager Freddie Jennings, Vinette Robinson as Erica, Louis McCartney as James, Ollie McNulty as Peter and Chukwubuikem Molokwu as Christopher.

A synopsis for season 3 teases that Finneran's Marie-Louise is at a difficult time in her career, while two young inmates strike an unlikely friendship.

"Prison Chaplain Marie-Louise comes to the YOI having lost her faith," the synopsis reads.

"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," the show's description continues.

"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?"

Time season 3 premieres on BBC One at 9pm on 10 October and streams in its entirety on BBC iPlayer from the same day. Time seasons 1 and 2 are available now on BBC iPlayer.

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Stefania is a freelance writer specialising in TV and movies. After graduating from City University, London, she covered LGBTQ+ news and pursued a career in entertainment journalism, with her work appearing in outlets including Little White Lies, The Skinny, Radio Times and Digital Spy. 

Her beats are horror films and period dramas, especially if fronted by queer women. She can argue why Scream is the best slasher in four languages (and a half).