The highly anticipated third series of Belfast cop drama Blue Lights has begun filming in the city. New cast, new criminal gangs to stop and new viewing figures were announced on Friday as production on Blue Lights 3 gets underway.
Cathy Tyson (Boiling Point, Dune: Prophecy) and Michael Smiley (Bad Sisters, Censor) have joined the cast of the multi-award-winning drama, joining returning stars Siân Brooke, Martin McCann, Katherine Devlin, Nathan Braniff, Joanne Crawford, Andi Osho, Frank Blake and more.
Produced by Two Cities Television and co-produced by Gallagher Films for BBC iPlayer and BBC One, the first three episodes will be directed by Jack Casey while actor/director Angela Griffin (Waterloo Road) will direct the last three episodes of the six-part series.
Read more: Blue Lights named 'Best Drama Series' at top TV awards
Read more: Two NI based shows feature in New York Times Best TV Shows 2024 list
A description for series 3 reads: "Two years into their jobs as response officers, Grace, Annie and Tommy are accustomed to life under the blue lights.
"But their work will take them into a sinister world hidden behind the veneer of middle-class life, the world of the accountants and lawyers who facilitate organised crime.
"The old political and criminal order has gone and a new global gang rule Belfast, bringing danger closer to home for our officers than ever before."
Blue Lights series two averaged 5.6M viewers across the series, while episode one’s 7M made it the BBC’s fourth biggest drama launch last year.
In Northern Ireland, it was the biggest drama across the whole market (broadcasters and streamers), across 2023 and 2024.
Creators Declan Lawn and Adam Patterson said: “For us, the joy of making Blue Lights is spending time with the characters and watching them grow, learn, and deal with the daily adversity of response policing in Belfast.
"At its heart, this is a show about personal, institutional and social change, and we want each series to reflect that in its own way.
"We can’t imagine better custodians of our creative vision than our brilliant series three directors Jack Casey and Angela Griffin. It’s a privilege, as ever, to be back in Blackthorn."
Stephen Wright and Louise Gallagher, co-creators and executive producers, added: “Declan and Adam continue to develop rich characters in a complex world with stories that will shock and move the audience.
"We are delighted to have Jack Casey back and are thrilled to welcome Angela Griffin to the Blue Lights family.”
Nick Lambon, BBC Drama Commissioning Editor, UK & Northern Ireland, adds: “It is a delight to watch Cathy and Michael seamlessly join our talented cast.
"The arrival of both characters marks the start of the most ambitious Blue Lights series yet, which will leave fans questioning everything they think they know about the response officers they have come to love…”
BBC Studios will distribute series three internationally in addition to series one and two. Series one and two of Blue Lights has sold to over 160 territories.
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