Jodie Whittaker and Bella Ramsey to star in new series of prison drama Time

Doctor Who's Jodie Whittaker and The Last of Us star Bella Ramsey will play inmates in the second series of Bafta Award-winning prison drama Time.

The first series of Jimmy McGovern's hard-hitting BBC show aired in 2021 and starred Sean Bean and Stephen Graham.

For the follow-up, the story will be set in a women's prison.

Tamara Lawrance, known for the film The Silent Twins, will join the cast, while Happy Valley's Siobhan Finneran will reprise her role as a prison chaplain.

Whittaker, Lawrance and Ramsey will play convicted women who all arrive on the same day.

Whittaker said: "Time was such an incredible and powerful show created by an extraordinary team, and being a part of this project in its second iteration is an absolute dream."

McGovern will co-write the second series with Helen Black, whose BBC Three drama Life and Death in the Warehouse is nominated for this year's Baftas.

Lawrance said: "Being a part of women-centred stories and productions is very important to me, as well as projects that challenge a prejudice.

"Time series two humanises a sector of society that is too often and easily vilified by elucidating the layered reasons why people end up in the criminal (in)justice system."

Ramsey said it was an honour to play her character Kelsey and that she was "really excited to experience the world through her for a few months".

Finneran said she was "delighted to be returning for Time two", adding: "It was a privilege to be involved in the first series and to be asked back is an honour, the scripts are again heartbreakingly brilliant."

McGovern, who is famed for creating the ITV drama Cracker, said: "This is the best cast I have ever seen assembled for any drama of mine."

Filming for series two will take place in and around Liverpool soon, the BBC said.

The first series portrayed life in a male prison and won Baftas for best mini-series and best actor for Bean.