The BBC’s police procedural thriller Vigil has officially been renewed for a third season. Given Vigil’s track record, the renewal hardly comes as a surprise. The series has become one of the most successful UK dramas of the decade, earning a nomination for Best Drama Series at the 2022 BAFTA Television Awards and securing the International Emmy for Best Drama Series. Season 2’s premiere in 2023 drew nearly 9 million viewers, making it one of the BBC’s top three most-watched dramas of the year.
Created by Tom Edge, Vigil is centered around DCI Amy Silva (Suranne Jones) who works for the Scotland police force in remote, often risky environs. The series premiered on BBC One on 29 August 2021 and two years later, Season 2 premiered on 10 December 2023. Vigil‘s first season followed Amy Silva and Kirsten Longacre (Rose Leslie) as they unravel a mysterious death aboard a nuclear submarine. Season 2 took a new direction, shifting the setting from the depths of the ocean to the high-pressure world of Air Force operations. When a drone warfare test gets out of control across Scotland and the Middle East, the duo is tasked with getting to the root of the matter and consequently averting a diplomatic row of calamitous proportions.
‘Vigil’ Season 3 Aims To Up the Ante
One of the most impressive features of Vigil has been its commitment to setting each season against the backdrop of some of the most unnerving and menacing locations. Season 3 is no different as it will see the central duo in a research station in the chilling Arctic where a member of a covert British special forces mission has been shot dead. The official synopsis reads:
“Amy and Kirsten will need to catch the killer and diffuse a potential international confrontation, driven by a land-grab for energy and resources in the changing polar climate, with both their careers and relationship on the line.”
BBC Drama Director Lindsay Salt expressed excitement about the renewal, stating:
“After the barnstorming success of Vigil series one and two, it’s our pleasure to announce the return of Silva and Longacre for what promises to be their most adrenaline-fuelled mission yet. Tom Edge and the World Productions team have excelled themselves with a brand new mystery and setting which will give Vigil’s millions of fans even more of the brilliant, blockbuster drama they’ve come to expect and love from this very special show.”
While plot details for Season 3 remain sketchy at best, fans can expect another pulsating, high-stakes investigation in unpredictable environments. Given the show’s history of intrigue and personal conflicts, the new season is likely to continue in the same vein, with a fresh setting and new challenges. With Vigil now cemented as a flagship crime thriller for the BBC, anticipation for Season 3 is already building. Filming is expected to begin later this year, with a likely release in 2026.
Until then, fans can revisit the first two seasons of Vigil on BBC iPlayer and Peacock in the U.S.
via Collider