ITV and Tall Story Pictures have announced that filming has commenced for the latest series of an audience favourite, The Bay.
The fifth series sees Marsha Thomason remain as Morecambe MIU’s Family Liaison Officer, DS Jenn Townsend alongside cast regulars Daniel Ryan, Erin Shanagher and Andrew Dowbiggin. Olwen May (Happy Valley, Trying) will join the team in Morecambe. Barry Sloane returns as Chris Fischer. Georgia Scholes plays Chris’s daughter Erin, and David Carpenter and Emme Hayes return as Conor and Maddie, Jenn’s children. Suzanne Packer (Casualty, Keeping Faith) joins as Jenn’s mum, Anne Townsend.
The storyline follows 23-year-old university student, Hannah, who is found dead on the edge of the docks, signalling Morecambe’s MIU team has another case to solve. Jenn, who is returning to work following her father’s death, pushes aside her grief to support Hannah’s bitterly divided family.
As the intensity of the case 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.
Joining the new series as guest cast are Leanne Best (The Walk-In, Cold Feet), Neil Maskell (Hijack, Kill List), David Troughton (A Very Peculiar Place, New Tricks), Stephen Wight (Screw, I May Destroy You) and Ceallach Spellman (Better, White Lines). Tara Lynne O’Neill (The Full Monty, Derry Girls) joins as Sinead, as DI Tony Manning’s new partner.
“We are thrilled to be coming back to our beloved Morecambe for another series. Daragh has written yet another captivating and emotional series which we know will enthral The Bay fans. We are so excited to start filming with Marsha, Dan and the team.”
Catherine Oldfield, Creative Director of Tall Story Pictures and Executive Producer of The Bay
The Bay is commissioned for ITV by Head of Drama, Polly Hill, and will premiere on ITV1 and be available on streaming platform ITVX.
The Bay is co-created and written by award-winning writer and playwright Daragh Carville, and produced by Tall Story Pictures, part of ITV Studios. Caroline Carver returns to the writing team, and is joined by Evan Placey. The series sees Shaun Evans directing episodes 1-3, with Waris Islam directing 4-6, Martin Campbell will produce.
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