The BBC has just announced the further cast joining Suranne Jones and Rose Leslie for the return of hit drama Vigil, as the production for the third series is now underway in Svalbard and Scotland. The six-part series is made by World Productions (Until I Kill You, Showtrial, Line of Duty), part of ITV Studios, for BBC iPlayer and BBC One.
As previously announced, Suranne Jones and Rose Leslie return as DCI Amy Silva and DI Kirsten Longacre. Their new case takes them to a remote Arctic research station, where a member of a covert British special forces mission has been shot dead.
Amy and Kirsten will need to catch the killer and diffuse a potential international confrontation, driven by a land-grab for energy and resources in the changing polar climate, with both their careers and relationship on the line.
Gary Lewis (Franklin, A Thousand Blows) returns to reprise his role as Detective Superintendent Robertson, who has appeared across all series of Vigil so far. Dominic Mafham (Little Disasters, Killing Eve) also returns as Sir Ian Downing and Orla Russell(Deadwater Fell, Outlander) returns as Poppy, Amy and Kirsten’s daughter.
The new cast for the third series includes Jeppe Beck Laursen (The Last, The Trip), Tornike Gogrichiani (Extraction 2, Drops of God), Steven Miller (Dept. Q, Shetland), Benjamin Wainwright (Maigret, Belgravia: The Next Chapter), Artur Zai Barrera (The Old Man, Lucky), Jordan Duvigneau (Mood, Stolen Girl), Kaisa Hammarlund (Hijack, Grace), Adam Fidusiewicz (FBI International, A Gentleman in Moscow), Naomi Yang (Under Salt Marsh, Wolfe), Eric Godon (In Bruges, Anna), Conor Berry (Karen Pirie, Schemers), Amy Manson (Rebus, Bodies), Jason Tobin (A Thousand Blows, The Balled of a Small Player), Steven Cree (All of You, Heads of State), Killian Coyle (Shetland, Endeavour) Derek Riddell (Industry, Happy Valley), Alma Prelec (Secret Service, Fifteen Love) Dawn Sievewright (Undertow, Shetland) and Shereen Cutkelvin (Summerwater, Crime).
Premiering in 2021, when Silva was enlisted to solve a murder on a navy submarine in Scottish waters, Vigil is one of the UK’s most successful dramas this decade. It was nominated for Best Drama Series at the 2022 BAFTA Television Awards, and went on to win the International Emmy for Best Drama Series. Series two, which aired in 2023 and focused on a deadly drone attack, launched to nearly nine million viewers and was in the BBC’s top three most watched dramas of the year.
Writer Tom Edge says: “I’m grateful to the BBC and World Productions for backing the ambition of a story that takes Vigil to the Arctic. This series grapples with the issues that will define tomorrow’s world: melting ice caps, conflict over resources, energy wars, and lives put at risk in pursuit of peace and profits.”
Jake Lushington, executive producer for World Productions, says: “We are thrilled to be kicking off filming series three of Vigil with Suranne and Rose in the epic arctic landscapes of Svalbard and welcome our most multinational cast to date, as well as featuring new and established Scottish talent.”
Vigil‘s 6 episode third series will be made by World Productions in association with ITV Studios for the BBC. It is written and created byTom Edge and additional writers for this series are Tom Mair and Eve Hedderwick Turner. The producer is Marcus Wilson, and associate producer is George Aza-Selinger. Executive producers are Jake Lushington for World Productions, Gaynor Holmes and Stephanie Fyfe for the BBC, and Tom Edge. The series is directed by Gareth Bryn (Karen Pirie, The Gathering) and Faye Gilbert(The Bay, The Tower). Vigil‘s international distribution is handled by ITV Studios.
