ITV in the UK and Masterpiece on PBS in the US have announced the sixth season of Unforgotten, the hit cold case crime show set in London. Sinéad Keenan and Sanjeev Bhaskar will return in their roles as CDI Jess James and DI Sunny Khan respectively.
The cast had their first read through of the script last week (photo above). Writer Chris Lang and director Andy Wilson, who have been responsible for the series thus far, also return and this time they will take us to Whitney Marsh where human remains have been discovered. Jess and Sunny must break their plans for the evening to attend the scene, where someone’s spine is recovered and pathologist Dr Leanne Balcombe (Georgia Mackenzie) concludes the man’s body had been dismembered prior to its arrival on the marsh.
The search begins for further body parts and it appears that this time the victim’s death was fairly recent – in contrast with previous seasons in which the search for clues goes back decades. However, in keeping with Unforgotten’s successful format, the investigation ties together a variety of potential suspects from different walks of life who are somehow linked to the death and, possibly, one another.
We’ll meet the controversial Ireland-based television host Melinda Ricci (MyAnna Burning); Martin Baines (Max Fairly) who has autism and lives with his mother Dot in Kent; Afghan immigrant Asif Syed (Elham Alas); and the top history academic Juliet Cooper (Victoria Hamilton). How are they connected to the body at Whitney Marsh; did one or more of them do it; and why?
Sunny, Jess and Dr Balcombe will be joined on the investigation by series regulars DS Murray Boulting (Jordan Long), DS Fran Lingley (Carolina Main) and DC Karen Willets (Pippa Nixon), and there will be one or two new characters to look out for. The plot will delve into the theme of division in society and its ramifications for all of us.
“I’m incredibly excited to be about to start filming the sixth series of Unforgotten, with a story that has been gestating for nearly eight years, since 23 June 2016, when our country seemed to fracture in two. The UK, and indeed the world, has today never seemed more divided, and series six attempts to try to understand how we got to where we are now, and perhaps more importantly, where we can go from here,” said Chris Lang.
Aside from its own plot lines, Unforgotten is a series that has had its own trials and tribulations. At the end of season four, DCI Cassie Stuart, played by Nicola Walker (above), met a sudden and tragic end. In season five, Jess James (Keenan) was introduced and had difficulty fitting in, particularly with Sunny who was still grieving Cassie’s death. Some fans of the show also reacted negatively to the change, however season five was ITV’s most watched show in 2023, averaging over 8 million viewers per episode.
The programme is being produced by Mainstreet Pictures (an ITV company) and co-produced by Masterpiece on PBS, which will broadcast Unforgotten season six in the United States. We expect six hour-long episodes to air later in 2024.
Click here to read more about season five of Unforgotten.
Click here for more about Unforgotten on Masterpiece on PBS.
Click here for more about Unforgotten on ITVX