The BBC and BritBox North America have released a first-look picture from the second series of Jimmy McGovern’s multi award-winning hit drama Time [shot by Paul Morris].

As previously announced, the three-part drama made by BBC Studios and co-produced by BritBox International for North America, will be led by Jodie Whittaker (Doctor Who, Broadchurch), Tamara Lawrance (The Silent Twins, The Long Song) and Bella Ramsey (The Last of Us, His Dark Materials), with Siobhan Finneran (Happy Valley, Downton Abbey) reprising her role from series one as Marie-Louise, a prison chaplain.

The series is written by multi-award winning Jimmy McGovern (Broken, Cracker, The Street) and Helen Black, writer of the BAFTA-nominated Life and Death in the Warehouse, and is directed by Andrea Harkin (The Confessions of Frannie Langton, The Trial Of Christine Keeler).

Announced today, BAFTA-award winner Sophie Willan (Alma’s Not Normal, Still Open All Hours) has joined the cast of Time series two, alongside Julie Graham (Shetland, Being Eileen), Alicia Forde (Waterloo Road, Ryan Can’t Read), Lisa Millett (The A Word, Robin Hood), Faye McKeever (The Responder, Des), Kayla Meikle (The Capture, The Girl Before), James Corrigan (This Is Going to Hurt, This England), Nicholas Nunn (Clique, SAS Rogue Heroes) and Maimuna Memon (Sherwood, Unforgotten).

Told through the lens of three very different inmates, Time is a moving and high-stakes portrayal of life inside a women’s prison. Arriving at Carlingford Prison on the same day, Kelsey (Bella Ramsey), Orla (Jodie Whittaker) and Abi (Tamara Lawrance) are thrown together to face an unfamiliar world. But even with the ever-present threat of violence within its walls, they discover that an unexpected sense of community, and a shared understanding, still might be possible.

Time series two (3×60’) is a BBC Studios production for the BBC, in a co-production with BritBox North America. Additional funding and support comes from the Liverpool Film Office through its Liverpool City Region Production Fund. Filming is taking place in and around Liverpool. Global distribution will be handled by BBC Studios.

The series is produced by Mark Hedges (Hanna, The Rising), with executive producers Priscilla Parish, Michael Parke and Andrew Morrissey for BBC Studios, Lucy Richer for the BBC, Reemah Sakaan and Stephen Nye for BritBox North America, and Jimmy McGovern.

Series two is coming soon to BBC One and iPlayer.