Suranne Jones is heading to the Arctic for series 3 of the hit BBC thriller, Vigil. It’s set to begin filming this year.
In a welcome bit of news for anyone who likes small-screen thrillers, the BBC has announced that Suranne Jones and co-star Rose Leslie are returning for a third series of Vigil.
First airing in 2021, Vigil brightened our evenings with the equivalent of a page-turning airport novel. Jones played detective Amy Silva, who in the first series investigated a knotty case of conspiracy and murder aboard the titular submarine.
Series two, which arrived in December 2023, saw DCI Silva investigate another case connected to the military – this time involving a swarm of deadly drones. It wasn’t quite as banjo-string tense as the first series, but still, Jones remained a charismatic lead – joined by her character’s life and work partner, DI Kirsten Longacre, played by Rose Leslie.
Like a Tom Clancy yarn but with drizzle and grey British skies, Vigil had plenty of intrigue and characters you can never be sure whether or not you can trust; Paterson Joseph and Dougray Scott were among the standout co-stars in the first two series.
Vigil series 3, the BBC has revealed, will see DCI Silva head to a research station in the Arctic.
“I’m delighted that Suranne and Rose are returning for a new adventure,” the show’s writer, Tom Edge, said in a statement. “In our third season we travel to the frozen north where the world’s great powers are competing to secure advantages as the ice melts. With a brilliant cast and crew assembling to make the show, we hope to deliver an epic investigation that shines a light on issues that will shape the world we all live in.”
If a thriller set at an icy research station immediately has you thinking of The Thing... well, you aren’t alone there. But while we’re fairly sure Suranne Jones won’t meet a shape-shifting monster in the next Vigil, it wouldn’t be the first time a TV thriller has taken inspiration from John Carpenter’s 1982 masterpiece. Last year’s True Detective: Night Country had more than a hint of its nightmarishness.
Like its predecessors, Vigil series 3 will run for six episodes, each lasting roughly 60 minutes. Filming is due to get underway in Scotland later this year, we’re told, so we’ll probably see DCI Silva trudging into the Tundra in 2026. If we hear word of Rob Bottin miraculously coming back out of retirement for the show, we’ll let you know right away.
