BBC’s ‘best crime drama ever’ vows to be even better in season 3
Siân Brooke, who plays Grace Ellis, shared a filming update.
The cast of a critically-acclaimed crime drama returning for season 3 on the BBC has promised the new episodes are going to be the best yet.
The Northern Irish series Blue Lights first premiered in 2023, before returning for a second season the following year.
The first two seasons generated the type of word-of-mouth buzz to guarantee that it would not only return for a third season, but also a fourth in the near future, after fans hailed it ‘the best crime drama ever’.
Siân Brooke, who plays one of the lead characters Grace Ellis, confirmed in a new interview that the show wraps filming for season 3 this week, meaning that our class of response coppers will return to the streets of Belfast very soon in six new episodes.
Brooke promised that the new episodes are ‘intense, surprising’, telling the RadioTimes on the Baftas red carpet: ‘We’re just coming to the end of it, so we’re about to enter our last week of filming.
‘The writing I think on this one, it just blows it out the water – I don’t know how these guys get better and better, but they do.’
Nathan Braniff said season 3 is the ‘best so far’ (Picture: BBC/Two Cities Television) The first two seasons generated huge word-of-mouth buzz (Picture: BBC/Two Cities Television)Brooke went on to praise the characters shaped by creators Adam Patterson and Declan Lawn, who are ex-Panorama journalists turned writer-directors.
The actress said: ‘There’s a lot of care that’s gone into making them and they’re very individual and so people have related to them, they want to know what happens, where the story ends.’
She was joined on the red carpet by Nathan Braniff, who plays Tommy Foster in the series. He added: ‘It’s the best so far this next one I would say, so we’re all super excited for everybody at home to see it.’
The third season doesn’t have a confirmed release date yet (Picture: BBC/Gallagher Films/Two Cities Television/Steffan Hill) There are more new cast members joining the third season (Picture: BBC/Gallagher Films/Two Cities Television)Blue Lights fans will be just as excited to sit down and watch season three, after the second installment was met with huge praise online. @ChrisPopeWrites wrote on X at the time: ‘Best crime drama – ever.’
@MrDavidEBrown agreed, adding: ‘You glance at Blue Lights and assume, ‘just another police drama’. But it’s honestly unlike any other show on TV. Love it.’
@NomadicWriter also said: ‘Tense complicated relationships, great plotting, nice pacing, wicked dialogue and clearly defined characters – #BlueLights has it all.’
The third season will take on white collar crime (Picture: BBC/Gallagher Films/Two Cities Television)With filming set to wrap this week, the third season could arrive later this year, although the BBC hasn’t confirmed the release date. We do know there will be some new faces in the forever-chaotic precinct, as Boiling Point’s Cathy Tyson and Bad Sisters’ Michael Smiley have joined the cast.
While details on who their new characters will be are being kept under wraps, the BBC has teased the loose outlines of what Grace, Annie and Tommy will face two years into their jobs as response officers.
They’re expected to enter the sinister white collar world of accountants and lawyers who facilitate organised crime.
‘The old political and criminal order has gone and a new global gang rule Belfast, bringing danger closer to home for our officers than ever before.’ the BBC said on season three in a statement.
Blue Lights is available to stream on BBC iPlayer.
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