Silent Witness season 29: everything we know

Silent Witness season 29 will see the hit drama celebrate its 30th anniversary as Emilia Fox returns as Dr Nikki Alexander.

The first series of Silent Witness, starring Amanda Burton, began in February 1996, so when series 29 goes out at the start of 2026 it will have been on screen for 30 years, which is a massive achievement. The show has also moved home from London to Birmingham, so that should give it a different feel. Does the BBC have something massive planned for the 30th? Here's everything we know...

Silent Witness season 29 release date

Silent Witness season 29 will likely begin on BBC One and BBC iPlayer in January 2026. This hasn't been confirmed yet but this is the usual release pattern for Silent Witness.

Silent Witness season 29 plot (SPOILERS if you’ve not finished series 28!)

So we're assuming here you've finished watching Silent Witness season 28! If not, we suggest you do that rather than worrying about the next season. Anyway, so obviously the big reveal was that Nikki and Jack finally tied the knot at a quiet but spectacular venue. The past few seasons have seen their romance blossom and viewers got what they wanted when the pair finally walked down the aisle. However, now they've had their happy ending you do wonder what the writers will do with them in season 29. Surely they can't just romantically walk around graveyards for 10 episodes? So while we have no official plot details we suspect there could be some big dramas in store for the pair. Let’s hope that neither of them gets killed off.

The other big plot thread from the previous series is the move to Birmingham. Nikki has been asked by the Home Office to set up a Center of Excellence in Birmingham, which means she and Jack are heading to the Midlands. Nikki made it clear she’d only go if Harriet was kept on as her boss after the Home Office tried to force her to retire. And the Home Office agreed. So it looks like Harriet and Kit will still be part of the team. However, Silent Witness has been rapidly changing the supporting cast in recent years so you never know.

Silent Witness season 29 cast

Emilia Fox will return as Dr Nikki Alexander alongside David Caves as Jack Hodgson. It’s not been confirmed yet if Maggie Steed and Francesca Mills will return as Harriet Maven and Kit Brooks, but it looks highly likely they will. As it’s the 30th anniversary we also suspect some classic characters could be brought back.

Is there a trailer?

Sorry not yet.

Silent Witness season 29 behind the scenes and more

Silent Witness has moved to the West Midlands as part of a plan by the BBC to boost TV drama production in the region. Mark Linsey, MD for Scripted, BBC Studios says: “This is an exciting time for one of our longest-running dramas that continues to thrill audiences here in the UK — and in over 200 territories around the world. We look forward to seeing the creative opportunities relocating production of Silent Witness to the West Midlands will undoubtedly bring."