Time (2021 TV series)

Time is a British anthology drama television series created and co-written by Jimmy McGovern, with Helen Black. Each series presents a new scenario following the lives of inmates and staff in His Majesty's Prison Service. Its first series, starring Sean Bean and Stephen Graham, was first broadcast on BBC One on 6 June 2021 and concluded on 20 June 2021. Its second series, starring Jodie Whittaker, Tamara Lawrance and Bella Ramsey, was broadcast, also on BBC One, on 29 October 2023 and concluded on 12 November 2023.

Time
Official poster for Series 1 (2021)
Genre	Crime drama
Created by	Jimmy McGovern
Written by	Jimmy McGovern Helen Black
Directed by	Lewis Arnold Andrea Harkin
Starring	Sean Bean Stephen Graham Jodie Whittaker Tamara Lawrance Bella Ramsey Siobhan Finneran
Music by	Sarah Warne
Country of origin	United Kingdom
Original language	English
No. of series	2
No. of episodes	6
Production
Executive producers	Lewis Arnold Sean Bean Stephen Graham Jimmy McGovern Michael Parke Lucy Richer Tom Sherry
Producers	Simon Maloney Mark Hedges
Cinematography	Mark Wolf
Editor	Sacha Szwarc
Running time	56–67 minutes
Production companies	BBC Studios Drama Productions BritBox
Original release
Network	BBC One
Release	6 June 2021 (2021-06-06) – present

The first series received largely positive reviews, with many praising the performances of the two leads. At the 2022 BAFTA TV Awards, the first series won Best Mini-Series and Bean won Best Actor, whilst Graham was nominated for Best Supporting Actor. The second series received similarly positive reviews.

Plot

Series 1

Mark Cobden is newly imprisoned, consumed by guilt for his crime, and way out of his depth in the volatile world of prison life. He meets Eric McNally, an excellent prison officer doing his best to protect those in his charge. However, when one of the most dangerous inmates identifies his weakness, Eric faces an impossible choice between his principles and his family.

Series 2

Orla, a single mother serving her first sentence, Abi, who is incarcerated for life, and Kelsey, a pregnant heroin addict and repeat offender, begin their sentences at a women's prison.

Cast

Series 1

Main

• Sean Bean as Mark Cobden, a prisoner and former teacher
• Stephen Graham as Eric McNally, a prison officer and Mark's supervising officer

Supporting

• James Nelson-Joyce as Johnno
• Siobhan Finneran as Marie-Louise O'Dell, the prison chaplain
• Nabil Elouahabi as Patterson
• Natalie Gavin as Jardine, a prison officer
• Hannah Walters as Sonia McNally, Eric's wife
• Nadine Marshall as Alicia Cobden, Mark's wife
• Jack McMullen as Daniel, Mark's cellmate
• Sue Johnston as June Cobden, Mark's mother
• David Calder as John Cobden, Mark's father
• Jonathan Harden as Brendan Murphy
• Kadiff Kirwan as Pete
• Aneurin Barnard as Bernard
• Cal MacAninch as Galbraith
• Brian McCardie as Jackson Jones, a prisoner
• Michael Socha as Kenny Meadows, a drug dealer
• Jason Done as PO Banks

Series 2

Main

• Jodie Whittaker as Orla O'Riordan
• Tamara Lawrance as Abi Cochrane
• Bella Ramsey as Kelsey Morgan
• Siobhan Finneran as Marie-Louise O'Dell

Supporting

• Julie Graham as Lou Harkness
• Karen Henthorn as Elizabeth O'Riordan
• Faye McKeever as Tanya Helsby
• Sophie Willan as Maeve Riley
• Matilda Firth as Nancy O'Riordan
• Danielle Henry as Tess Palmer
• Maimuna Memon as Tahani
• Angela Wynter as May Sinclair

Production

Most of the filming of the first series took place in the Liverpool City Region, with the prison wings and cells filmed at HM Prison Shrewsbury, a former prison which was decommissioned in 2013. The cameras moved to Liverpool to create the rest of the prison using courtrooms, police stations and educational buildings, as well as exterior locations such as the Silver Jubilee Bridge in Widnes and Southport Pier.

Episodes

Series	Episodes		Originally released			Average viewership (in millions)
			First released	Last released	Network
1	3		6 June 2021 (2021-06-06)	20 June 2021 (2021-06-20)	BBC One	6.09
2	3		29 October 2023 (2023-10-29)	12 November 2023 (2023-11-12)		3.89

Series 1 (2021)

No.	Directed by	Written by	Original release date	UK viewers (millions)
1	Lewis Arnold	Jimmy McGovern	6 June 2021 (2021-06-06)	8.04
En route to Craigmore Prison, a former teacher, Mark Cobden, hears a raging argument between two prisoners, Johno and Baz, and a fight breaks out between the prisoners. Prison officers question and strip-search him. Mark calls his wife and gets placed in a first-night cell. Eric McNally is a prison officer at Craigmore Prison. On the first day, Eric does the induction. He meets his cellmate, Bernard, a schizophrenic prisoner. Mark tells Bernard he is doing four years for killing someone by dangerous driving. Bernard says he is doing 10 years for his father's manslaughter. At night, Mark sees Bernard's self-inflicted wounds and presses the emergency button. Eric brings armed guards to take him to segregation. Irwine tells Eric that his son, David, is in Lowood Prison and indirectly threatens Eric to give him "protection", making Eric anxious. In prison, Johno bullies Mark. Eric meets David and plans to transfer him to another prison. In the morning, Johno throws scalding sugary water on Baz. The prison governor tells Mark that they will move him to Chapel Grove. Mark witnesses Bernard’s suicide, and the chaplain informs that he overdosed on his medication. Armed men arrest Irwine. Johno punches Mark, giving him a bloodied nose. Irwine tells Eric that David is in Chapel Grove, where he fights Irwine.
2	Lewis Arnold	Jimmy McGovern	13 June 2021 (2021-06-13)	5.18
Mark expresses his desire to write a letter to the wife of the man he killed. He meets his new cellmate, Daniel, who is serving a 21-year sentence for murder. The governor informs Eric that his son has been attacked and is critically injured, leading Eric to promise his wife he'll “play ball” to keep their son safe. Mark hands his letter to Eric, who later meets Mrs. Hughes, Bernard's mother, and apologises, but she angrily destroys his blinker. Mark assists a fellow inmate, Kavanagh, in writing an anniversary message to his wife. Eric gets involved with drug dealing, receiving drugs from Kenny to smuggle. Mark's wife, Alicia, asks for a divorce and tells him she met someone. Mark convinces Daniel to meet the parents of the man he killed. On day 88, they meet Gerald Wilson’s parents, who ask Daniel why it happened. Eric tells Mark that the letter has been rejected. Daniel saves Mark from Johno's threat. Daniel saves Mark when Johno threatens to set his feet on fire. Mark meets Jackson to toughen him up. Eventually, Mark fights Johno and bites his ear. Kenny gives Eric another parcel and explains that his son is in jail. A police officer pulls him over for the smashed rear light.
3	Lewis Arnold	Jimmy McGovern	20 June 2021 (2021-06-20)	5.06
Brendan reveals his dark past of murdering his best friend at 13. Mark teaches Kavanagh and informs Daniel to dispose of a phone he found. Eric meets David and tells him that his father has been supplying drugs for months. Mark requests the chaplain to contact his mother, who then informs him of John's death. As Mark leaves prison for the funeral, police find the phone during a cell search. Mark returns to his cell, and Daniel moves out. On day 509, Mark watches the New Year fireworks. Brendan reveals to his victim’s brother that he confessed his love to him. The governor and chaplain invite him to a conference. Jackson offers Mark a smuggling job. At the conference, he shares his drinking problem and a previous accident that led to a death, ultimately resulting in a court confrontation with the victim's wife. Jackson and Flanagan beat Mark, but Kavanagh saves him. The governor meets Eric to search him. They find the drugs, and the police arrest Eric, and he tells his wife. After 730 days, Mark gets released. He hugs Kavanagh, says goodbye to Daniel, and meets Eric. The judge sentences Eric to four years in prison. After 1 year, Mark has an emotional meeting with the victim’s wife.

Series 2 (2023)

No.	Directed by	Written by	Original release date	UK viewers (millions)
1	Andrea Harkin	Jimmy McGovern & Helen Black	29 October 2023 (2023-10-29)	4.14
Single mother Orla, heroin addict Kelsey and lifer Abi are sent to prison. While Orla loses control of her old life, Kelsey makes a personal discovery and Abi attempts to hide a terrible secret.
2	Andrea Harkin	Jimmy McGovern & Helen Black	5 November 2023 (2023-11-05)	3.71
Several months after she's released, Orla is sent back to prison and her children remain care. While Abi confides in Marie-Louise about her past, Kelsey thinks about the future of her unborn child.
3	Andrea Harkin	Jimmy McGovern & Helen Black	12 November 2023 (2023-11-12)	3.78
Orla faces consequences while trying to reconnect with her children, Abi attempts to overcome her unresolved grief and Kelsey hopes to move on from her old life and plan a future with her child.

Reception

Writing in The Guardian, Lucy Mangan wrote: "The performances of Bean and Graham are, even though we have come to expect brilliance from them both, astonishing. So, too, are those from everyone in smaller roles, none of which is underwritten or sketchy, and who thicken the drama into something more profoundly moving and enraging at every turn". Billie Schwab Dunn, writing for Metro, praised the show, which was "elevated by the central performances – particularly Bean, who gently grounds us and provides a beam of light in all that darkness".

Awards and nominations

Year	Award	Category	Nominee	Result
2022	BAFTA TV Awards	Best Mini-Series	Time	Won
Best Actor	Sean Bean	Won
Best Supporting Actor	Stephen Graham	Nominated
Director:Fiction	Lewis Arnold	Nominated
Photography & Lighting:Fiction	Mark Wolf	Nominated
Scripted Casting	Beverley Keogh, David Marin	Nominated
2024	BAFTA TV Awards	Editing:Fiction	Alex Mackie	Nominated
		Scripted Casting	Amy Hubbard	Nominated
	RTS Awards	Leading Actor:Female	Tamara Lawrance	Won
		Leading Actor:Female	Jodie Whittaker	Nominated
		Supporting Actor:Female	Bella Ramsey	Won

External links

• Time at IMDb