"She's sublime": David Tennant addresses finally working with Siobhan Finneran for outstanding drama

Doctor Who star David Tennant has discussed working alongside the "sublime" Siobhan Finneran on season 3 of prison drama Time, with this instalment set in a Young Offenders Institution (YOI).

Tennant plays custodial manager Bobby Bailey in the instalment, which also marks the return of Finneran's prison chaplain Marie-Louise O'Dell from the previous seasons.

Premiering later this week, Time season 3 sees Bobby and Marie-Louise clash over a "tragedy". In real life, it seems that Tennant and Finneran had a great time working together, as the Scottish actor branded his co-star "hilarious".

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"I've been a fan of Siobhan for years," Tennant said ahead of the new season debuting on 11 October.

"We'd never worked together, our paths may have vaguely crossed at a do or something, but to get to work with her and to get to know her... She's everything you hope she will be – as an actor, she's sublime, and as a human, she's hilarious."

He added: "Siobhan Finneran doesn't disappoint. You can have that, Siobhan, you can put that on your CV!"

Meanwhile, Time writer Jimmy McGovern shared praise for both Tennant and Finneran.

Speaking of Tennant joining the series on its third season, McGovern said: "I think he's a great actor and he's done lots of interesting things in his career. He inhabits the roles superbly well, I think he's wonderful."

As for Finneran, McGovern described her as "one of the best actresses on the planet", and also detailed how the series has been able to question institutions like the justice system and the church through her character, Marie-Louise.

"It's nice to be able to say a few of the things we've been allowed to say about organised established religion. You can argue that they do not do the work that God intended them to do because they are so wrapped up in institutional life," he said.

"There's a basic thing that's wrong with our country and its institutions. We stumble upon a principle like love thy neighbour – be just, be fair, share things – and we build big institutions around them. We build the church, we build the justice system, and we get very proud of these big institutions, so we start to protect them at the expense of the principle."

McGovern also cited a crucial season 3 scene in which Marie-Louise makes this internal turmoil clear.

"At the very end of the series, Marie-Louise says, 'We will do the work of God and to hell with the bishops and their accomplices,'" he said.

"I think it's great that she can say that. She ends up more likely to do God's work than she ever was throughout the previous two series."

Time season 3 premieres on BBC One at 9pm on 11 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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Reporter, Digital Spy

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).