New series of BBC prison drama Time filming in Liverpool and Wirral

The second series of multi-award-winning prison drama Time is currently being filmed in locations across Merseyside after receiving a major investment boost.

Created by Liverpool-writing royalty Jimmy McGovern, the new three-part series stars Doctor Who actor Jodie Whittaker, alongside Bella Ramsey, from HBO hit The Last of Us, and Tamara Lawrence, seen in The Silent Twins and The Long Song.

The gritty series, which is being shot in Liverpool, Halton, Wirral and Knowsley, is a moving and high-stakes portrayal of life inside a women’s prison, told through the lens of three very different inmates who are thrown together to face an unfamiliar world.

Funding has been provided by the Liverpool City Region (LCR) production fund. Cllr Harry Doyle, Liverpool Council cabinet member for culture, said: “The production fund has been a huge success story for the city region and as well as helping to create award-winning dramas, it has supported local talent, created jobs, improved skills and had a positive economic impact across the city.”

About Time: Season two follows on from the smash-hit first series in 2021 starring Sean Bean and Stephen Graham, which was both a critical and ratings hit in the UK and went on to secure two BAFTA TV awards including Best Mini-Series in 2022. Co-written by McGovern and Helen Black (Life and Death in the Warehouse), the second series is produced and distributed internationally by BBC Studios and is directed by Andrea Harkin (The Confessions of Frannie Langton, The Trial Of Christine Keeler).

Funding: Managed by the Liverpool Film Office, the LCR production fund was launched to increase the number, range and scale of productions made in the city region and is supported by £3million from the Combined Authority through Mayor Steve Rotheram’s strategic investment Fund. To date, a total of eight investments have been made including BAFTA Award winning Help, BAFTA nominated The Responder and The Ipcress File.

What’s been said: “There is a huge amount of anticipation around Time 2,” says Cllr Doyle. “Even though it’s a common occurrence to have camera crews on our streets pretty much every day of the year, it’s still a thrill to see the city region on the big and small screen, providing stunning backdrops for so many exciting productions. With Scouse legend Jimmy McGovern involved once again in Time, this is sure to be yet another success.”

Steve Rotheram, Mayor of the Liverpool City Region, added: “Investments like this one demonstrate the depth of our region’s ambition to stake our claim as the UK’s premier filming location outside of London. I have no doubt that our region has all the capabilities, facilities and skills to become the ‘Hollywood of the North’ and attract the thousands of well-paid jobs and training opportunities that it will bring to our area.”