Time season 3 confirms more cast members – including an EastEnders fan-favourite

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BBC’s Time is adding some new faces for its third season, including Jo Joyner, who’s well-known from the soap opera EastEnders.

The next installment of the popular prison drama has started filming in Belfast. This season will take place in a young offenders’ institution and feature David Tennant as Prison Officer Bailey. Siobhan Finneran, known for her roles in Downton Abbey and Happy Valley, will return as prison chaplain Marie-Louise.

Joining Joyner (Stay Close) as Nicola, the cast also includes Vinette Robinson (Boiling Point) playing Erica, Daniel Ryan (Such Brave Girls) as Custodial Manager Jennings, and Warren Brown (The Responder) as Albie.

Louis McCartney, known for his role in Stranger Things: The First Shadow, will play James, and Ethaniel Davy (Hollyoaks) will play Jayden. Newcomers Ollie McNulty and Chukwubuikem Molokwu will be making their first on-screen appearances as Peter and Christopher, respectively.

The cast also welcomes newcomers Victor Zhao, Paul Smith Junior, Finn Kearns, and Jack Barnes. They’ll be playing the roles of Jietang, Toby, Mark, and Chaz, and this will be their first time appearing on screen.

Jimmy McGovern, the creator and writer of the series, expressed his delight with the cast, saying, “What a wonderful cast!”

According to co-writer Samuel Bailey, the upcoming series will be as powerful and emotionally affecting as the first two seasons. He’s especially looking forward to viewers meeting the actors playing the young offenders, believing they are all incredibly talented and destined for future success.

The prison drama began in 2021 with Sean Bean playing inmate Mark Cobden and Stephen Graham as the troubled guard, Eric McNally. The second season moved to a women’s prison, featuring Jodie Whittaker, Tamara Lawrance, and Bella Ramsey in leading roles.

Season 3 moves to a young offenders’ institution, focusing on how imprisonment affects teenagers and the people who work with them, according to the BBC.

The new drama centers on Marie-Louise, a prison chaplain who has lost her religious faith. When a tragic event occurs inside the young offender institution, she finds herself at odds with Bailey, a long-serving officer also struggling with personal issues. Bailey holds crucial information about what happened, but will he reveal the truth before his conscience overwhelms him?

Two teenage boys, Peter and James, are trying to cope with the frightening reality of being in prison. James wonders if he can ever make amends with his family after committing a serious violent act, while Peter wrestles with whether to reveal the truth about an innocent man’s death, even if it means betraying his family.

I was really drawn in by the central relationship – it’s about two people who shouldn’t be friends, and how that connection promises to completely change their lives. But the film smartly asks a bigger question: when everything around you is falling apart, can anyone really change for the better? It’s a compelling dynamic that keeps you guessing.

Time seasons 1 and 2 are available to stream on BBC iPlayer.

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Molly MossTrends Writer

Molly Moss writes about the newest trends in television, movies, and other entertainment for TopMob. She has a master’s degree in journalism and has also contributed to major publications like The Guardian, The Times, and The Sun Online.

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2026-03-17 17:34