BBC's hit thriller confirms Merlin star with new cast in Belfast and Liverpool-set second season

We already knew that a second season of Nightsleeper was on the way after it was renewed earlier this year, and the BBC thriller has now received an exciting update on its cast for the follow-up.

After the series was greenlit for another instalment back in June, it was confirmed that the action would take place on the open water as opposed to a railway line, with a passenger ferry becoming the target of an attack.

With production firmly under way, the principal cast for the second season has been announced, with Merlin star Colin Morgan being the headline name as he portrays Stephen 'Bo' Bowen.

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He is joined by Madeleine Mantock and Christian Cooke in the lead cast, while the supporting roster includes Rupert Penry-Jones, Ian McElhinney, Sally Lindsay, Alexander Arnold, Lydia Page, Christine Bottomley, Julie Dray and Pooky Quesnel.

There is also some continuity from the first season, with Parth Thakerar, Jonjo O’Neill and Micah Balfour set to reprise their respective roles as Saj Sidhu, Mark 'Hud' Hudson and Leon Parhill.

"It's so much fun to be embarking on a second Nightsleeper journey on a route I know so well with the Belfast-to-Liverpool ferry as our new box-of-tricks," said series creator and co-writer Nick Leather.

"We've assembled such a wonderful cast, I'm so excited about our story and I can’t wait to welcome the audience onboard for a non-stop night to remember," added Leather, who also serves as an executive producer.

Lindsay Salt, Director of BBC Drama, said: "We're thrilled to have Colin, Madeleine and Christian lead this new [season] of Nightsleeper. Nick has delivered another brilliantly gripping story, and with danger lurking beneath the surface at every turn, viewers are in for a truly nail-biting journey."

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As per the logline, the six-part season will take place on a passenger ferry which is heading from Belfast to Liverpool. After a deadly hack cripples the system, several lives are in danger on the now-perilous journey.

It's up to a second engineer from the ferry and the National Cyber Security Centre's new technical director to save the day, but long-buried secrets threaten to scupper any plans to keep everybody safe.

Nightsleeper airs on BBC One and streams on BBC iPlayer.

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Reporter, Digital Spy George is a freelance writer who specialises in Movies and TV. After graduating with a degree in Film Studies and Journalism from De Montfort University, in which he analysed the early works of Richard Linklater for his dissertation, he wrote for several websites for GRV Media.  His film tastes vary from blockbusters like Mission: Impossible and John Wick to international directors such as Paolo Sorrentino and Hirokazu Kore-eda, and has attended both the London and Berlin film festivals.