Created by Jimmy McGovern.
Time premiered on BBC One on June 6, 2021.
Distributed by BBC Studios.
Time TV Series Review
Time is a gripping British prison drama that explores guilt, survival, punishment and the human consequences of incarceration.
Created by Jimmy McGovern, the anthology series presents a different prison story each season, supported by realistic storytelling and powerful performances.
Season 1 follows Mark Cobden, a remorseful prisoner played by Sean Bean, and Eric McNally, a prison officer played by Stephen Graham, whose moral choices put his principles and family at risk.
Season 2 focuses on three women played by Jodie Whittaker, Tamara Lawrance and Bella Ramsey as they navigate prison life, complicated relationships and personal struggles.
Season 3 introduces David Tennant as a prison officer in a young offenders’ institution, exploring violence, responsibility and the possibility of change.
Overall, Time is an emotional and thought-provoking drama worth watching.
CR Rating: 8.5/10.
Time Actors
Siobhan Finneran as Marie-Louise O’Dell
DOB: April 27, 1966.
English actress born in Oldham, Lancashire, England.
She developed an interest in acting while growing up and began her professional career in British television and theatre.
Finneran has built a long-standing career in film and television, earning recognition for her ability to portray complex characters in emotionally demanding stories.
Role: Finneran plays Marie-Louise O’Dell, a prison officer whose presence connects the different stories across the anthology.
Her character represents the staff members who work within a system shaped by rules, institutional pressures and complicated relationships with prisoners.
Seasons & Episodes: S1-3 (9 eps).
Interesting facts: Finneran has received major recognition for her television work, including a BAFTA nomination for her performance as Clare Cartwright in Happy Valley.
Notable Works: Downton Abbey, Happy Valley, The Stranger, Benidorm.
Sean Bean as Mark Cobden
DOB: April 17, 1959.
English actor born in Sheffield, South Yorkshire.
He studied at Rotherham College of Arts and Technology before earning a scholarship to the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) in London, where he graduated in 1983.
Bean began his professional career in theatre before moving into television and film.
Role: Mark Cobden is a former teacher serving a prison sentence after being convicted of causing death by dangerous driving while under the influence of alcohol.
Struggling with guilt and the unfamiliar realities of prison life, he finds himself vulnerable in an environment governed by strict rules and complex power relationships.
Seasons & Episodes: S1 (3 eps).
Interesting facts: Bean won the 2022 International Emmy Award for Best Actor for his performance as Mark Cobden in Time.
Notable Works: The Lord of the Rings trilogy, Game of Thrones, Sharpe, Broken, Legends.
Stephen Graham as Eric McNally
DOB: August 3, 1973.
English actor and producer born in Kirkby, Merseyside.
He developed an interest in acting at an early age and trained at Rose Bruford College of Theatre and Performance in London.
Graham has established a successful career across British and international film and television.
Role: Eric McNally is an experienced and respected prison officer who tries to maintain order while treating inmates fairly.
His professional responsibilities become increasingly complicated when he is pressured by a criminal organisation seeking to use his position to bring drugs into the prison.
Seasons & Episodes: S1 (3 eps).
Interesting facts: Graham co-founded Matriarch Productions with his wife, Hannah Walters.
Notable Works: Boiling Point, This Is England, Boardwalk Empire, A Thousand Blows.
Jodie Whittaker as Orla O’Riordan
DOB: June 17, 1982.
English actress born in Skelmanthorpe, West Yorkshire.
She studied at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London, graduating in 2005.
Whittaker began gaining recognition through film and television roles before establishing herself as one of Britain’s prominent screen actresses.
Role: Orla O’Riordan is the central character in the second season of Time.
She is a mother and prisoner whose arrival at Carlingford Prison forces her to adjust to the restrictions, tensions, and power dynamics of women’s prison life.
Seasons & Episodes: S2 (3 eps).
Interesting facts: Whittaker made television history as the first woman to play the Doctor in the main television series Doctor Who.
Notable Works: Doctor Who, Broadchurch, Adult Life Skills, Tess of the d’Urbervilles.
Tamara Lawrance as Abi Cochrane
DOB: July 15, 1994.
British actress who trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) in London.
She has developed a career across television, film, and theatre, earning recognition for her performances in character-driven dramas.
Role: Abi Cochrane is one of the women imprisoned at Carlingford Prison in the second season of Time.
As she adjusts to life behind bars, her experiences reveal the emotional and practical challenges of imprisonment.
Seasons & Episodes: S2 (3 eps).
Interesting facts: Lawrance received a BAFTA nomination for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in The Long Song at the 2019 BAFTA Television Awards.
Notable Works: The Long Song, The Silent Twins, Kindred, Boxing Day.
Bella Ramsey as Kelsey Morgan
DOB: September 25, 2003.
English actor born in Nottingham, England.
They began acting at a young age and received training through the Television Workshop in Nottingham, which supports the development of young performers.
Role: Kelsey Morgan is one of the central characters in the second season of Time.
As a young woman entering Carlingford Prison, she must adjust to the restrictions, tensions, and difficult relationships that shape life behind bars.
Seasons & Episodes: S2 (3 eps).
Interesting facts: Ramsey became internationally recognised for playing Lyanna Mormont in Game of Thrones.
Notable Works: The Last of Us, Game of Thrones, The Worst Witch, Hilda.
David Tennant as Bobby Bailey
DOB: April 18, 1971.
Scottish actor born in Bathgate, West Lothian, Scotland.
He studied at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama in Glasgow, graduating in 1991.
He began his professional acting career in theatre before establishing himself as one of Britain’s most recognised television actors.
Role: Bobby Bailey is a central character in the third season of Time.
He works as a prison officer, facing the pressures and responsibilities of maintaining security while dealing with the complex personal circumstances of those in custody.
Seasons & Episodes: S3 (3 eps).
Interesting facts: Tennant is also an established stage performer and has frequently returned to theatre productions alongside his television work.
Notable Works: Doctor Who, Broadchurch, Good Omens, Des, Rivals.
Lisa Millett as PO Martin
DOB: N/A.
Lisa Millett is a British actress with credits across television and theatre.
She has appeared in a variety of dramatic productions, often taking supporting roles in ensemble casts.
Role: PO Martin is a prison officer at Carlingford Prison in Season 2 of Time.
She is part of the staff responsible for maintaining order and overseeing the daily routines of the women in custody.
Seasons & Episodes: S2 (3 eps).
Interesting facts: Millett has also appeared in historical drama, including the television miniseries The Pillars of the Earth.
Notable Works: The Pillars of the Earth, What Remains, Prey, Warren.
James Nelson-Joyce as Johnno
DOB: 1989.
James Nelson-Joyce is an English actor from Liverpool, known for his work in British television and film.
He has built a career playing characters in crime dramas and socially grounded stories.
Role: Johnno is a prisoner in Season 1 whose behaviour and relationships help establish the unwritten rules of prison life.
For Mark Cobden, who is entering prison without experience of the system, people like Johnno form part of an intimidating social environment in which reputation and personal boundaries matter.
Seasons & Episodes: S1 (3 eps).
Interesting facts: Nelson-Joyce has frequently appeared in British crime and social dramas that favour realism over glamour.
Notable Works: The Outlaws, The Nest, This City Is Ours, A Thousand Blows.
Jo Joyner as Nicola
DOB: May 24, 1977.
English actress born in Harlow, Essex.
She trained at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama in Cardiff and has built a career across television and theatre.
Joyner is known for bringing warmth, intensity and emotional credibility to roles involving family relationships and personal upheaval.
Role: Jo Joyner plays Nicola, the girlfriend of David Tennant’s character, Custodial Manager Bobby Bailey.
Her sudden, tragic death in a car accident serves as the emotional turning point that inspires Bobby to expose the prison’s institutional corruption.
Seasons & Episodes: S3 (3 eps).
Interesting facts: Joyner received a British Soap Award for Best Dramatic Performance for her portrayal of Tanya Branning in EastEnders.
Notable Works: EastEnders, Ackley Bridge, Ordinary Lies, Shakespeare & Hathaway.
Daniel Ryan as Freddie Jennings
DOB: 1968.
English actor from Culcheth, Lancashire.
He attended the Lancashire Schools Arts Workshop in North Wales, before being accepted into LAMDA.
Ryan is known for his work in British television drama
Role: Daniel Ryan plays Freddie Jennings, an institutionalized and unusually mean-spirited prison officer working in a Young Offenders Institution.
He navigates a tough environment alongside a custodial manager played by David Tennant to manage and supervise troubled teenagers
Seasons & Episodes: S3 (3 eps).
Interesting facts: Ryan has worked extensively in British television drama, where he often plays characters navigating difficult personal and professional situations.
Notable Works: The Bay, The Government Inspector, Mount Pleasant.
Matilda Firth as Nancy O’Riordan
DOB: December 1, 2014.
Matilda Firth is a young British actress whose screen credits include television and film productions.
She appeared in the Channel 4 comedy series Hullraisers and has also worked in dramatic television.
Role: Matilda Firth plays Nancy O’Riordan, the young daughter of Orla O’Riordan.
Her character navigates the emotional heartbreak of being separated from her mother, who has been abruptly sentenced to prison.
Seasons & Episodes: S2 (3 eps).
Interesting facts: Firth’s television work includes both comedy and drama, with Hullraisers among her credited productions.
Notable Works: Hullraisers, The Power, Vampire Academy.
More Actors
• Hannah Walters as Sonia McNally.
• Jack McMullen as Daniel.
• Dean Fagan as Stevie.
• Brian McCardie as Jackson Jones.
• Louise Lee as PO Carter.
• Isaac Lancel-Watkinson as Kyle O’Riordan.
• Nicholas Nunn as Adam Muller.
• Vinette Robinson as Erica Bailey.
• Ollie McNulty as Peter Palmerston.
• Jack Barnes as Chaz.
FAQ – Time TV Series
What is Time TV series about?
Time is a British prison drama that explores guilt, violence, punishment and the challenges faced by prisoners, prison officers and their families.
Is Time an anthology series?
Yes. Each season tells a different story about imprisonment, featuring new central characters while Siobhan Finneran returns as Marie-Louise O’Dell.
Is Time based on a true story?
Time is a fictional drama rather than a direct retelling of one specific true story. However, it explores realistic issues surrounding imprisonment, rehabilitation and the prison system.
How many seasons does Time have?
The series has three seasons, with three episodes in each season, making nine episodes in total.
Where can you watch Time TV series?
In the UK, Time is available through BBC iPlayer. Availability on other streaming platforms depends on your country.
Conclusion
Time is a compelling prison drama with powerful performances and realistic storytelling.
Its emotional depth and thought-provoking themes make it worth watching.