Silent Witness season 28 sees Emilia Fox return as Dr Nikki Alexander for a fresh set of tough cases and she will surely be up against at least one serial killer!
The new series features five brand-new stories, told over ten episodes. Two new cast members are joining. Maggie Steed (Paddington 2, Rivals) will play Harriet Maven — the new Head of The Lyell Centre — while Francesca Mills (The Witcher: Blood Origin, Worzel Gummidge) will play Kit Brooks, a Crime Analyst who works with Jack (David Caves).
At the heart of the most recent series has been the growing relationship between Nikki and Jack Hodgson (David Caves). Setting up this series, Emilia Fox says: "There's a real running theme of love through the whole series. Of course, that's great, because it resonates with the Jack and Nikki relationship. I’m very excited by all the stories in this series. They are written by four of our very strongest writers."
Here's everything we know about Silent Witness season 28…
Silent Witness season 28 release date
Silent Witness season 28 began on BBC One on Monday, January 6 at 9 pm. The third episode will air on Monday, January 13 at 9 pm. The fourth episode will air on Tuesday, January 14 at 9 pm. Episodes are being released on BBC iPlayer as they air on BBC One. So, unlike last year, it hasn't been released as a box set.
We don't have a US release date yet. Meanwhile, it's been revealed there will be a Silent Witness season 29 on the way in 2026.
Cast
Emilia Fox returns as Dr Nikki Alexander, a part she's played since 2004. David Caves is back as Jack Hodgson. Maggie Steed joins as Harriet Maven — the new Head of The Lyell Centre — and Francesca Mills joins as Kit Brooks, a Crime Analyst who works with Jack (David Caves).
On joining the cast, Steed says: "I was delighted to be asked to join Silent Witness. I've enjoyed it many times over the years and it's always been the most intriguing and entertaining series going, so it's been a thrill to join."
Francesca Mills says: "I'm thrilled to be joining such a long-running, much-loved series as Silent Witness and I really look forward to being a part of the stellar cast. This will be the 28th Series, and it is still going from strength to strength."
We believe Velvy (Alastair Michael) and Gabriel (Aki Omoshaybi) won't be part of the new series. It's unclear if Cara (Rhiannon May) will feature.
Sean Pertwee returns as DI John Flynn in the opening two-part story. Zoe Telford returns in episodes 3 and 4 as Chief Superintendent Jane De Freitas.
Plot
Plot
So spoilers ahead if you've not seen the end of Silent Witness season 27. OK, so Nikki and Jack are engaged which means we could have a Silent Witness wedding. Funnily when Emilia and David were on The One Show host Alex Jones started joking about a Silent Witness wedding and the pair looked quite awkward as Alex had basically guessed what's going to happen. Given Nikki's disastrous relationship history, there has to be a fear that something horrible will happen to Jack. However, we're not sure killing him off would go down very well with the fan base. We have the episode titles for the new series and the final two-part story is titled "I Believe in Love… What Else Can I Do?".
That title could be seen as being taken from Carly Simon's 1987 song "Coming Around Again". The song is thought to be about enjoying a belief in love despite losing it — is Nikki going to lose Jack?
It could signify that the characters go their own ways after the failure of their relationship but are still optimistic they can each find love in the future. The song was penned for the movie Heartburn starring Meryl Streep and Jack Nicholson, which is about a doomed marriage. Not a great sign again for Nikki and Jack!
Now, a more positive spin on the song reference is that it's referring to Nikki's many past romantic failings but this time the love is for real. What does seem clear from the title of the final two-part story is that these will be key episodes for the future of Nikki and Jack.
What happens in episode 1?
The body of an elderly woman is found in a cave, with her fingerprints burnt off and a posy of foxgloves at her side that she did not pick herself. The case is complicated further when they discover that she died three months before her body was discovered. Jack is apprehensive about the arrival of new boss Professor Harriet Maven.
What happens in episode 2?
As Benjamin continues his search for Gloria, Nikki makes a disturbing discovery that brings them closer to the truth. Plus, a new team member joins the Lyell and Lauren and Gary find themselves unknowingly caught up in a scam.
What happens in episode 3?
The team is called out to deal with the case of an estate agent who has been viciously bludgeoned to death with a claw hammer. They find some unexpected familiar faces waiting for them at the crime scene, and when the murder weapon subsequently goes missing, they find themselves drawn deep into a conspiracy involving local government
What happens in episode 4?
After another hammer attack, the Lyell team start uncovering connections to a conspiracy involving blackmail and the local government. DC Whelan finds himself in the middle of a potentially fatal dispute.
Is there a trailer?
Yes! Here you go...
Silent Witness season 28 behind the scenes and more
Silent Witness is a BBC Studios Drama production. The executive producers are Suzi McIntosh for BBC Studios, Nawfal Faizullah for the BBC, and Emilia Fox. Seán Gleeson is Producer. BBC Studios handles global distribution.
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