ITV confirms the future of The Bay following series four

Virgin Radio

23 May 2023, 11:16

The future of ITV's The Bay has finally been confirmed. 

Following the dramatic events of series four earlier this year, ITV have now commissioned series five of the hit show, starring Marsha Thomason as Jenn Townsend. 

The fourth series saw Jenn starting to settle into Morecambe CID alongside cast regulars Daniel Ryan, Erin Shanagher, Andrew Dowbiggin and Thomas Law.

The Bay also saw the return of Barry Sloane as Chris Fischer, Jenn’s partner, and Georgia Scholes as Chris’s daughter Erin, and David Carpenter and Emme Hayes as Conor and Maddie, Jenn’s children.

As confirmed by ITV, filming begins later this year on the new series, with further casting news to be announced. 

According to the official series five synopsis, the latest case for Morecambe MIU will focus on the “emotionally complex life” of a new family in trouble. 

It reads: “With the father and mother of the victim, bitterly divorced, Jenn Townsend and the team will have to tread very carefully to keep the whole family onside.”

ITV’s Head of Drama, Polly Hill, said in a statement: “We’re delighted to be returning to Morecambe for another series of The Bay. The series is a huge success story for ITV and we’re grateful to Catherine Oldfield, Daragh Carville and the team at Tall Story Pictures for continuing to create compelling stories and characters.”

It sounds as though fans will be in for more heartbreaking storylines, and according to lead actress Marsha, playing the copper in charge of helping a family in serious trouble is no easy feat. 

She told virginradio.co.uk and other press in February: “Just stop for a minute and imagine it was happening to you. The reason I'm an actress is because I enjoy exploring people's emotions and their different experiences, and so, for me, it was just a real gift. You just shake it off, because thank goodness that's not really happening to you.”

On where series four found Jenn in her second year in The Bay, the White Collar star added: “Jenn is much more settled. You find a much more confident Jen. She was having a crisis of confidence [in series three] and she's much more in her comfort zone in her work.”

The Bay series five will return to ITV in 2024. Series one-four are available to watch on ITVX.