Beloved BBC Drama Vigil Will Return For Series 3

If there’s a BBC crime boxset we will never stop recommending, it’s Vigil – so we’re thrilled the BBC has renewed the drama for series 3. High-stakes yet filled with heart, the first series introduced us to the complicated relationship between DCI Amy Silva (Suranne Jones) and DI Kirsten Longacre (Rose Leslie) as the former investigated a mysterious death on a submarine, while the latter showcased their reunited lives as Amy again travelled to the scene of a mysterious crime on the line of duty, this time an airbase in the Persian Gulf. So what’s in store for Vigil series 3? Here’s everything we know so far.

Vigil Series 3: Plot, Cast, Release Date

From the creators of Line of Duty, Vigil is one of the BBC’s most successful series of the decade – so it makes complete sense that we’d return to the lives of Amy and Kirsten for a third series. ‘I can’t wait to return to Vigil series three, see our brilliant team in Scotland and work with Rose again,’ Jones said on the news of Vigil series 3. ‘I’m sure it will be a thrill of a ride.’

Amy Silva (SURANNE JONES) & Kirsten Longacre (ROSE LESLIE) in Vigil. (© BBC/World Productions LTD/Mark Mainz)

What Will Happen?

According to the BBC, Vigil series 3 will see the return of DCI Amy Silva (Jones) and DI Kirsten Longacre (Leslie) in Scotland as they’re faced with a new case. This time, a member of a covert British special forces mission has been shot dead at a remote Arctic research station. Amy and Kirsten are tasked with catching the killer, all the while diffusing a potential international confrontation, with this murder fuel on the burning flames of land-grabbing and resource insecurity in the changing polar climate.

‘I’m delighted that Suranne and Rose are returning for a new adventure,’ Vigil’s writer Tom Edge says. ‘In our third season we travel to the frozen north where the world’s great powers are competing to secure advantages as the ice melts. With a brilliant cast and crew assembling to make the show, we hope to deliver an epic investigation that shines a light on issues that will shape the world we all live in.’

‘I can’t wait to get stuck into another season of Vigil, to work with the wonderful Suranne Jones again and our brilliant crew,’ Leslie adds. ‘And this time, Kirsten will get to pack her bags and join Amy on what’s set to be Vigil‘s most high-stakes mission yet!’

Suranne Jones in Vigil series 1. (© BBC Pictures)

The Cast

Suranne Jones will return as DCI Amy Silva, opposite Rose Leslie as DI Kirsten Longacre – but no news just yet on who will join them.

Vigil Series 3 Release Date

Vigil series 3 is set to commence ‘filming in Scotland later this year’, the BBC says – so no certainty just yet for when it will air. Vigil series 1 aired in August and September 2021, followed by series 2 in December 2023. While we’d love to see it before the end of 2025, we think it’s more likely Vigil series 3 will air in 2026.

WATCH

Vigil series 1 and 2 are available to stream on BBC iPlayer.