Derry Girls star joins hit ITV drama The Bay ahead of fifth series
CRIME fans won’t have long to wait to get their next instalment of police drama from Morecambe Bay.
ITV will welcome back crime drama The Bay for a fifth season next year, which will see regular faces returning and welcoming new ones.
Derry Girls star Tara Lynne O’Neil joins the cast, and is best known for her role as Mary Quinn in the Northern Ireland based comedy on Channel 4.
Tara will take on the character of Sinead, DI Tony Manning’s (Daniel Ryan) new partner in The Bay.
Returning to the popular crime series, Marsha Thomason will reprise her role as DS Jenn Townsend, alongside regulars Daniel Ryan, Erin Shanagher and Andrew Dowbiggin.
Barry Sloane will also return and reprise his role as Chris Fischer. Georgia Scholes plays Chris’ daughter Erin, with David Carpenter and Emme Hayes returning as Jenn’s children Conor and Maddie.
Other new faces include Happy Valley‘s Olwen May has joined the cast, whilst Casualty star Suzanne Packer will portray Jenn’s mother Anne Townsend.
The fifth series of The Bay is set to have another interesting plot line as the website synopsis reads: “When 23-year-old university student Hannah is found dead on the edge of the docks, Morecambe’s MIU team has another case to solve – Jenn, who is returning to work following the death of her father, pushes aside her own grief to support Hannah’s bitterly divided family.
“With the stakes of the investigation high, Jenn and the team dig deeper into the case, uncovering hidden friendships and secret liaisons as anger rises in the student community.
“As the intensity increases and the team peel back the complicated layers of Hannah’s life and the secrets within it, Jenn must reconcile her personal and professional struggles as she grapples to solve the case, come to terms with her own loss, and build bridges with her family.”
Polly Hill, ITV’s Head of Drama, commented on the series returning: “We’re delighted to be returning to Morecambe for another series of The Bay.
“The series is a huge success story for ITV and we’re grateful to [executive producer] Catherine Oldfield, [co-creator/writer] Daragh Carville and the team at Tall Story Pictures for continuing to create compelling stories and characters.”
Executive Producer Catherine Oldfield added: “Daragh and I couldn’t be happier to be heading back to Morecambe with Marsha and the team for another case.
“We love making the show and so we’re delighted to be producing another series for ITV and viewers at home and abroad.”
All four series of The Bay so far are available to stream on ITVX.
ITV's The Bay - what's happened so far
ITV crime drama The Bay will return for a fifth series, but here's what has happened so far...
Series One
The first series centred around an investigation into teenage missing twins from a family living in Morecambe. Focusing on Lisa Armstrong and how she struggles being a single mum and a police officer, it’s not long before her personal life gets wrapped up in the case. The first series received an average of 7.2 million views across the six episodes when it first aired in 2019.
Series Two
The Bay Series 2 begins with Lisa Armstrong, played by Morven Christie, at a low ebb: Demoted, she is forced to do menial police work whilst she watches Med go from strength to strength. But a new case, involving a shocking murder within a loving family, brings Lisa unexpectedly back into the front line.
Series Three
Season three of the ITV crime drama The Bay focuses on the murder of a young boxer, Saif Rahman, whose body washes up on the shore of Morecambe Bay. The third part sees Morecambe newcomer DS Jenn Townsend (Marsha Thomason) join the team, taking over from Lisa Armstrong.
Series Four
Season four of the ITV crime drama The Bay follows Detective Sergeant Jenn Townsend (Marsha Thomason) and her MIU team as they investigate a targeted arson attack that leads to a family tragedy.