Time season 2 features a top cast of British women stars including Bella Ramsey, Siobhan Finneran, Jodie Whittaker and Tamara Lawrence.
The first series of Jimmy McGovern’s gripping BAFTA award-winning series Time was a huge success, with Sean Bean playing prisoner Mark Cobden and Stephen Graham as conflicted prison officer Eric McNally. This new series sees the action shift to a women’s jail, with Happy Valley actress Siobhan Finneran reprising her role as prison chaplain Marie-Louise.
“I am delighted to be returning for Time two. It was a privilege to be involved in the first series and to be asked back is an honour, the scripts are again heartbreakingly brilliant,” says Siobhan.
Time series 2 is a moving and high-stakes portrayal of life inside a women’s prison and this time we join inmates Kelsey (Bella Ramsey), Orla (Jodie Whittaker) and Abi (Tamara Lawrance) who arrive at Carlingford Prison on the same day and are immediately plunged into an unfamiliar world, fraught with danger, violence and threat. But they also discover that, despite their stark differences, an unexpected sense of community and a shared understanding might be possible.
Told through the lens of three very different inmates, Time is a moving and high-stakes portrayal of life inside a women’s prison.
“I’m very happy to be a part of this project, working with an incredible team and following on from a stellar first season. And it’s such an honour to be Kelsey, I’m really excited to experience the world through her for a few months,” says The Last of Us star Bella Ramsey.
So here’s everything you need to know about Time series 2….
Time season 2 release date
Time season 2 is a three-part series shown on BBC1 weekly from Sunday October 29 at 9pm and on BBCiPlayer so this drama is a big part of the BBC's Autumn TV 2023 season. We don't know yet when it will be shown in the US. Keep checking this page and we’ll update you as soon as we hear anything.
Series one of Time is available to watch on BBCiPlayer now.
Is there a trailer for Time series 2?
Yes the BBC has just released its trailer for Time season 2. "Is this your first time in prison," it starts. Things are going to be tense! Take a look below...
Time season 2 plot
Arriving at Carlingford PRison on the same day are new inmeates — mum-of three Orla O'Riordanin, young drug addict Kelsey Morgan (Bella Ramsey) and tough lifer Abi Cochrane (Tamara Lawrance). The trio are assigned to share the same cell, leading to their individual stories to become intertwined as they fight to survive in a world of vengeance and violence. The trio must all learn to navigate this unfamiliar world, with the ever-present threat of violence within its walls. However, they all discover a surprising shared bond.
Time season 2 cast — Bella Ramsey on playing Kelsey Morgan
Bella plays young pregnant inmate Kesley Morgan. The British actress has recently been the lead star of in the smash hit sci-fi drama The Last of Us, playing Ellie Williams. She also played Lyanna in Game of Thrones and Birdy in Catherine Called Birdy. Bella has also starred in His Dark Materials, The Worst Witch (where she played the lead role of witch Mildred Hubble), Becoming Elizabeth, Requiem and was Judy Garland's daughter Lorna Luft in Judy.
At the start of Time series 2, the women seemingly have nothing in common, and things don’t bode well when Kelsey, who has had two previous spells in prison, steals from Abi to fund her heroin addiction. But, when a routine medical reveals that she is pregnant, it’s Abi who urges her to keep the baby.
‘In lots of ways, Kelsey is very far removed from me,’ says Bella. ‘But, as we were filming, I found a lot of similarities and it was so natural for me to play her. When I first read the script, though, I was genuinely afraid I wouldn’t be able to do it and that I’d get on set and it just wouldn’t work.’
Realising that being pregnant might help her to get a reduced sentence, Kelsey decides to keep the baby and, as the days and weeks go by, her growing bond with her unborn child spurs her to make a life-defining decision.
‘The storylines in this series are so real and alive, and the stakes are so high,’ explains Bella. ‘We can have biases when we think about people in prison, but it’s so complex. I think it shows how complicated everything is, nothing’s linear, nothing’s black and white. Just seeing that and respecting everybody’s individual story is so important.’
Jodie Whittaker on playing Orla O'Riordanin
Jodie Whittaker is playing inmate Orla O'Riordanin. “Time was such an incredible and powerful show created by an extraordinary team, and being a part of this project in its second iteration is an absolute dream,” she says.
Struggling single mum-of-three Orla O’Riordan ends up behind bars for the first time after tampering with her electricity meter in an attempt to keep her family warm. Terrified by the thought of her children being taken into care, and reluctant to let her alcoholic mother look after them, Orla finds herself in a desperate situation as she tries to get things back on track.
"Some of us are in a lucky position – wherever we’re coming from, or are going to, we’re helped in many ways by society or the financial bracket you’re in. All these things are contributing factors to your daily ability to choose certain things. For Orla, the domino effect of her being in prison shatters everything for her.
"When I was sent the script, I thought, “I don’t know if I need to read this, I think I’m probably just saying yes!”, because I was so excited to see who was doing it and who had written it.
"The first series of Time was so impactful, important and of such high quality, and the fact that this is being told, not as season two, but as another unique standalone piece covering different storylines and characters has been amazing.
"What series one did, and hopefully what this series is doing, is giving a face to the statistics or the problems. You can say there’s a wrong or a right, or there’s a baddie and a goodie, but we all live in a grey area."
Jodie is best known for playing The Doctor in Doctor Who and grieving mum Beth Latimer in Broadchurch. She’s also starred in Trust Me, Journeyman, Get Santa, Hello Carter and Marchlands, and will soon be seen in the Paramount Plus drama One Night later in 2023.
Tamara Lawrance on playing Abi Cochrane
Playing prisoner Abi Cochrane in Time season 2 is Tamara Lawrance who has previously starred in Kindred, The Silent Twins, Invasion and Get Millie Black. She’s also appeared in The Split, No Offence and Undercover.
“Being a part of women-centred stories and productions is very important to me, as well as projects that challenge a prejudice,” Tamara says. “Time series two humanises a sector of society that is too often and easily vilified by elucidating the layered reasons why people end up in the criminal (in)justice system. I’m excited for us to platform the complexity of these characters and their experiences.”
Abi knows she is set to be in prison for the long haul after being convicted of murdering her sister-in-law. But it’s clear there is more to the story when another inmate recognises her from a stretch they did together at another prison.
With a sinister secret playing on her mind, her safety is soon at risk as she attracts the attention of a group of fellow prisoners – played by Faye McKeever (The Responder), Julie Graham (Payback) and Kayla Meikle (Litvinenko) – target her in a campaign of violence.
‘Being a part of women-centred stories and productions is very important to me, as well as projects that challenge a prejudice,’ says Tamara.
‘These stories humanise a sector of society that is too often and easily vilified by explaining the layered reasons why people end up in the criminal (in)justice system. I’m excited for us to platform the complexity of these characters and their experiences.’
Siobhan Finneran on her return as Marie-Louise O'Dell
Siobhan Fineran is reprising her role from series one of TIme when she played prison chaplain Marie-Louise.
What made you want to return for the second series, Siobhan?
Siobhan says: "Jimmy McGovern’s writing is legendary and I think you would be hard pushed to find an actor who wouldn’t want to do his work. You’re desperate to find out how these characters are going to get through whatever they’re going through. You’re supporting them, and you’re also heartbroken for them. That’s what he does so brilliantly – he gets you by the scruff of the neck and drags you along."
This is a different story with new lead characters, but does it feel like a natural progression from the first run?
Siobhan says: "There are similarities in this series, in that there are characters who are trying to do the best for their family, and if that means they’ve got to break the law then they will do that because their family is the most important thing to them. There are others who are really struggling with addiction or their mental health, and how they then cope after making a mistake."
What was it like working with new cast signings Bella, Jodie and Tamara?
Siobhan reveals: "It’s been an absolute treat to work with this group of women. It feels like a really good, creative atmosphere, and also very supportive. It’s been a real privilege to watch everyone do their work."
How did you prepare to play Marie-Louise?
Siobhan says: "I had a brilliant conversation before I did the first series with a woman who works as a chaplain in a prison. I found it humbling to speak to her, because she had a real understanding of people’s mental health and people’s way through life, and that it’s not always easy."
* Siobhan Finneran made her debut in the 1987 film Rita, Sue and Bob Too and has since starred in Happy Valley, Benidorm, Downton Abbey, Boy A, The Other One and The Stranger. She’s also appeared in Cold Feet, Clocking Off, The Syndicate, Doctor Who, Emmerdale and Coronation Street, where she played Josie Phillips.
Who else is starring in Time season 2?
The remaining cast are announced for Time season 2 includes Sophie Willan (Alma’s Not Normal, Still Open All Hours) Julie Graham (Benidorm, Shetland, Being Eileen), Alicia Forde (Waterloo Road, Ryan Can’t Read), Lisa Millett (The A Word, Robin Hood), Faye McKeever (The Responder, Des), Kayla Meikle (The Capture, The Girl Before), James Corrigan (This Is Going to Hurt, This England), Nicholas Nunn (Clique, SAS Rogue Heroes) and Maimuna Memon (Sherwood, Unforgotten).
Time series 2 episode guide
Here's our brief episode guide for Time season 2. If you don't want spoilers perhaps move on until they're watched. All episodes are available on IPlayer once the first has aired on Sunday October 29.
Episode 1
Orla is a mum-of-three who’s sent down for fiddling her electric meter. With a job and a family to think of, she is desperate to get out and continue with her life, but she’s terrified her children will have been taken into care by the time she does. On her first day in prison, Orla meets fellow new inmates Kelsey (Bella Ramsey) a pregnant drug addict convicted of possessing a kilo of Class A drugs and Abi (Tamara Lawrance), who’s serving life for the murder of her sister-in-law. They’re both struggling with their own issues, but one source of hope for Orla is prison chaplain Marie-Louise (Siobhan Finneran) who does her best to help all inmates struggling during their time on the inside.
Episode 2
Abi Cochrane was the victim of a brutal attack after her fellow inmates discovered she’d been convicted of killing her own baby in last week’s episode! Now she’s been shunned by the community of Carlingford women’s prison, yet one person believes she can help Abi (Tamara Lawrance) through these dark times. Prison chaplain Marie-Louise O’Dell (Siobhan Finneran) thinks if Abi discusses her past with the other inmates at a support group, then it might help them understand her crime. After deciding to keep her baby, Kelsey (Bella Ramsey) is desperate to prove she can be a good mum by stopping her drug habit and asking her boyfriend Adam (Nicholas Nunn) to marry her. However prison chaplain Marie-Louise says marrying him would threaten her place in the Mother and Baby Unit of the prison, as Adam is still into drugs. Yet when Kelsey unexpectedly goes into labour in the middle of the night, will she and the baby survive?
Episode 3
After giving birth to a baby son now Kelsey Morgan faces a battle to keep him! The recovering drug addict is allowed to live with young Daniel (Nicholas Nunn) in the prison’s Mother and Baby Unit, providing she continues her good behaviour and stays off drugs. But disaster strikes when the baby’s father, Adam, passes her heroin against her wishes during a routine visit, an act that’s spotted by Prison Officer Martin (Lisa Millet). Abi Cochrane hoped that delivering Kelsey’s baby might help her win favour with her fellow inmates, who’ve bullied her mercilessly ever since they discovered she was sent down for killing her baby. Yet when her terrible treatment continues, Abi realises sharing the heartbreaking story of what really happened on the day her child died could be the only way forward. But will finally opening up help the other women at Carlingford Prison understand her pain?
Time writer and creator Jimmy McGovern on series 2
Writer Jimmy McGovern say of Time series 2: “This is the best cast I have ever seen assembled for any drama of mine. The best crew too. I am so, so looking forward to it.”
When season one of Time was released in 2021 Jimmy said: “I think I've been working on Time since the 1980s because from about 1982 onwards, I did a fair bit of work in prisons. I was always popping in doing a writer’s workshop and popping out again, and I was always fascinated by prison life for all kinds of reasons but I think the main one is I always had the feeling of, There but for the grace of God go I'. You know, because I was young and skint once as well, and I did a few naughty things. I was extremely lucky. So, it I think the seeds of writing Time goes back to the 1980s really. I'm always looking for stories, and the thing about the thing about a British prison is it's so full of stories.”
Jimmy McGovern has won four BAFTAs and is the man behind hard-hitting dramas such as The Street, Cracker and Moving On. He started as a writer on the soap Brookside and has also created Accused, Care, Reg, Hillsborough, Banished and The Lakes.
Behind the scenes, locations and more on Time season 2
This second season of Time was filmed in Liverpool in the first half of 2023. The series secured funding and support through the Liverpool Film Office. Global distribution will be handled by BBC Studios.
Co-writer Helen Black says: “To be asked to write the second season of Time with the incomparable Jimmy McGovern has been a joy and an honour.”
Andrew Morrissey, Executive Producer for BBC Studios says: “It’s always a privilege to be working with Jimmy. 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.”
Lindsay Salt, Director of BBC Drama, says: “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.”
