The cast of the “brilliant” BBC crime drama Time, starring David Tennant, have teased the third series, promising viewers they “will not be disappointed”. Exploring the lives and realities of inmates and staff in the British prison system, each season of Time follows a new storyline with a new cast.

Written by Jimmy McGovern and Samuel Bailey and directed by Paul Whittington, the first episode of season three will launch on BBC iPlayer on Sunday 11 October and on BBC One at 9pm.

Season three stars Siobhan Finneran as Marie-Louise, a prison chaplain who comes to the young offender institution after losing her faith.

Following a tragedy, Marie-Louise clashes with veteran officer Bailey, played by Tennant, a man in the midst of his own crisis.

The synopsis teases: “Bailey knows more about the circumstances that led to this major incident – but will he come clean before the guilt gets too much?”

Rounding out the cast are Daniel Ryan, Ollie McNulty, Louis McCartney, Chukwubuikem Molokwu, and Ethaniel Davy.

Speaking about the show, Finneran said the strength of Time lies in its ability to give audiences a deeper understanding of the people behind the crimes.

Asked why Time is so powerful, she replied: “I think what’s brilliant about the way that Time is written – and every single series has done this – we get to see some background so that hopefully, as an audience, you’re not as judgmental as I think we all can be sometimes.

“I think sometimes we hear about a crime that’s been committed and you do instinctively you go, ‘Oh, put them in prison, throw away the key’.

“Whereas what Time does brilliantly is it goes, just have a look at what was going on in this person’s life before this happened.

“You’ve done something wrong, you should be punished for it, and there’s a lot of cases in which that’s right, but what I think what’s brilliant about Time is it says, just have a little longer look at this.

“We get to see in Time what’s going on underneath the surface.”

Meanwhile, Ryan, who plays prison officer Freddie Jennings, said: “I think the two series that have gone before this one have been so moving and harrowing, a statement about the conditions that we find our criminals in this country.

“You’re not going to be disappointed watching this one.”

Time season 3 premieres on BBC One at 9pm on 11 October and streams in its entirety on BBC iPlayer from the same day. Time seasons 1 and 2 are available now on BBC iPlayer.