Detective drama Unforgotten will return to ITV for a fifth series with Little Boy Blue actress, Sinead Keenan, replacing Nicola Walker for the next instalment.
Dublin-born Sinéad, who was Bafta nominated for her role as Melanie Jones in Little Boy Blue, begins filming her new role later this month alongside Bafta-nominated Sanjeev Bhaskar who has played DI Sunil ‘Sunny’ Khan in four previous series of the hugely successful cold case murder drama.
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Keenan is to play the role of DCI Jessica James in ITV’s critically acclaimed and RTS-nominated crime drama which is written by Chris Lang and will take over from Last Tango in Halifax's Nicola Walker whose character, Cassie Stuart, was killed in a car crash in series four.
The Being Human, Showtrial and Deep Water actress will start filming with the rest of the Unforgotten team later this month in London and there's also a line-up of familiar faces to be suspicious of in this new season.
As the murder mystery unfolds viewers will explore the lives of several central characters, Jay, played by Rhys Yates (The Outlaws, Silent Witness), Martina Laird (Summerland, The Bay)is Bele, Tony played by Ian McElhinney (Game of Thrones, Derry Girls), and Max Rinehart (Jekyll and Hyde, Miss You Already) as Karol, who on the face of it appear seemingly unconnected to the victim. Hayley Mills will also play Tony’s wife, Emma.
DI Khan’s loyal and hard-working cold case investigations team are also back together for the series with Jordan Long as DS Murray Boulting and Carolina Main as DC Fran Lingley reprising their roles. Returning to the series are Georgia Mackenzie as pathologist Dr Leanne Balcombe, Michelle Bonnard as Sunny’s partner, Sal and Pippa Nixon as DC Kaz Willets.
The new series opens with the clock ticking down to DCI James’ first day in her new job with an unforeseen and devastating introduction to her family life. Determined to make a good first impression with her new colleagues, will Jess be in the right frame of mind to deliver and inspire the team?
Jess’ first case is the discovery of human remains in a newly-renovated period property in Hammersmith, London. But how long have they been there and is this a murder dating back to the 1930s or has the body been disposed of in more recent times?
Sinéad Keenan said: "I have long been an admirer of Chris Lang’s work so I am absolutely delighted to be joining the Unforgotten team. I’m very much looking forward to working with the extraordinary cast led by the brilliant and incredibly lovely, Sanjeev Bhaskar. And I’m hoping that if I play my cards right I might even get to take a peek in Sunny’s backpack!"
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