The BBC's hard-hitting prison drama Time is returning to our screens for a second season following its 2022 BAFTA win for best mini-series and an average audience of 11.6 million viewers (across a 30-day period).

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Series creator Jimmy McGovern (Broken, Cracker, The Street), who wrote the first instalment solo, has brought Helen Black (Life and Death in the Warehouse) on board to tell a new story set in a women's prison – with director Lewis Arnold making way for Andrea Harkin (The Confessions of Frannie Langton, The Trial of Christine Keeler).

"It's always a privilege to be working with Jimmy," said executive producer for BBC Studios Andrew Morrissey. "He writes stories and characters with such emotional complexity.

"Working in collaboration with Helen Black and directed by Andrea Harkin, we're incredibly excited to introduce an audience to a new world and new stories."

Read on for everything you need to know about Time season 2.

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Time season 2 release date: When will it air?

Tamara Lawrance as Abi Cochrane, Bella Ramsey as Kelsey Morgan and Jodie Whittaker as Orla O'Riordan in Time series two gathered together looking concerned
Time season 2.

Time season 2 arrives on BBC One and iPlayer on Sunday 29th October at 9pm.

There are three episodes in total.

Time season 2 cast: Who stars in the BBC drama?

Time season 2 is set in a women's prison, with a predominantly new cast, which includes:

  • Jodie Whittaker (Doctor Who, Broadchurch) as Orla
  • Tamara Lawrance (The Silent Twins, The Long Song) as Abi
  • Bella Ramsey (The Last of Us, Game of Thrones) as Kelsey

Siobhan Finneran (Happy Valley, Downton Abbey) is also returning as prison chaplain Marie-Louise.

"This is the best cast I have ever seen assembled for any drama of mine," said McGovern. "The best crew, too. I am so, so looking forward to it."

Lindsay Salt, director of BBC Drama, added: "Jimmy McGovern and Helen Black's scripts are nothing short of extraordinary, and in Bella, Jodie and Tamara, we've found the perfect acting talents to bring these utterly compelling central characters to life.

"With Siobhan Finneran reprising her role from series one and Andrea Harkin in the director's chair, BBC viewers are in for a remarkable three hours of television."

Time season 2 plot: What's it about?

Siobhan Finneran as Marie-Louise O'Dell in Time season 2 sitting down looking concerned
Siobhan Finneran as Marie-Louise O'Dell in Time season 2.

The official synopsis reads as follows: "Told through the lens of three very different inmates, Time is a moving and high-stakes portrayal of life inside a women's prison.

"Arriving at Carlingford Prison on the same day, Orla, Abi and Kelsey are thrown together to face an unfamiliar world. But even with the ever-present threat of violence within its walls, they discover that an unexpected sense of community, and a shared understanding, still might be possible."

Time season 2 trailer: When can I watch it?

Right now.

Watch the brutal teaser below.

Time season 2 will premiere on BBC One on Sunday 29th October at 9pm. Season 1 is available to watch on BBC iPlayer now.

Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on.

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