The Bay series 3 confirmed as Marsha Thomason joins the cast

The Bay will return to ITV for a third series, it’s been announced.

The hit drama will be back for new series with Cobra star Marsha Thomason to join in the lead role.

Marsha Thomason (Cobra, White Collar) joins the cast as Morecambe CID’s new Family Liaison Officer, DS Jenn Townsend, following Morven Christie’s decision to leave the show.

A teaser for series 3 shares: “DS Townsend is immediately thrown into the deep end when a body is found in the bay on her first day in the job.

“She must get under the skin of a grieving and complicated family if she has any chance of solving the premature death of an aspiring young boxer. While she’s eager to give the family answers, she also needs to prove herself as the team’s newest recruit.

“The pressure is multiplied when her new blended family struggle to settle in Morecambe, proving to Jenn that a fresh start might not be as simple as moving to a different town.”

Reprising their roles are Daniel Ryan (Innocent, Home Fires), Erin Shanagher (Viewpoint, Peaky Blinders), Thomas Law (The Worlds End, A Cinderella Story) and Andrew Dowbiggin (Cobra, Coronation Street).

The hugely successful drama is written by award-winning writer and playwright Daragh Carville (Being Human, The Smoke, Cherrybomb), with Furquan Akhtar co-writing series 3, and produced by Tall Story Pictures.

Series 3 is due to begin filming in the spring and will be produced by Irma Inniss (Tin Star, Holby City).

ITV’s Head of Drama, Polly Hill said: “We are delighted with the audiences’ response to The Bay and look forward to them meeting DS Jenn Townsend played by the fantastic Marsha Thomason, who joins the team in series 3.”

Executive Producer, Catherine Oldfield added: “Daragh and I couldn’t be more delighted by the audience response to The Bay.

“That ITV have recommissioned the show is fantastic and to get a talent as bright and brilliant as Marsha to lead the new series is beyond exciting.

“We can’t wait to get back to Morecambe to start filming again in that beautiful part of the world.”

Series 2 of The Bay is currently airing Wednesday nights at 9PM on ITV with the channel sharing that an average of 7.5 million viewers have been tuning in.

You can watch episodes online and catch up via ITV Hub.

Picture: ITV