ITV reveals future of The Bay after fours seasons on screen

THE popular TV crime drama The Bay will return for a fifth series next year.

It has been announced that the ITV1 series, which is filmed in Morecambe, will be back on our screens in 2024 and filming is expected to begin soon.

The fifth series will see the latest case for Morecambe MIU focusing on the emotionally complex life of a divided family.

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.

Tall Story Pictures, who produce the series, posted the news on Twitter on Tuesday.

“Yay!! Series 5 is go!! We are thrilled to be returning to Morecambe for another series.

“Huge thanks to the fantastic cast and crew of Series 4 and to all who watched this year – a massive massive thank you. We’ll be back on ITV next year.”

The fourth series saw Marsha Thomason, playing Jenn Townsend, having settled in to Morecambe CID alongside cast regulars Daniel Ryan, Erin Shanagher, Andrew Dowbiggin and Thomas Law.

The series 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.

The Bay is co-created and written by award-winning writer and playwright Daragh Carville (Being Human, The Smoke, Cherrybomb).

The Lancaster-based writer of the series, posted on Facebook: “The news is out at last. Thrilled that The Bay is coming back for a fifth series. Jenn, Manning and the gang back on ITV in 2024.”

ITV boss Polly Hill said: “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.”

Filming begins later this year on the new series, with further casting news to be announced.