Colin Morgan (known for The Boy That Never Was), Madeleine Mantock (The Long Song), and Christian Cooke (Frauds) will lead the ensemble for the highly anticipated second season of the BBC thriller, Nightsleeper. This new trio steps into the shoes previously occupied by Season 1 stars Joe Cole and Ruth Madeley, promising a fresh dynamic for the series.
The upcoming season shifts its high-stakes action from an overnight train to the open water. A passenger ferry traveling between Belfast and Liverpool becomes the target of a potentially deadly cyber hack-attack, setting the stage for a tense, real-time narrative. As the crew desperately tries to conceal the extent of the threat from their passengers, the ferry’s second engineer, Johnny (played by Christian Cooke), must collaborate with Stephen 'Bo' Bowen (Colin Morgan), the new technical director for the National Cyber Security Centre, to fight back against the unseen enemy. Madeleine Mantock rounds out the lead cast as Beth.
The series is currently filming in Belfast, UK, with support from Northern Ireland Screen. Element Pictures, the acclaimed producers behind Normal People, are at the helm of production. Nick Leather, the original writer, returns to craft this new maritime mystery.
Joining the lead cast are a host of familiar faces and new additions, including Rupert Penry-Jones (Spooks) as Richard, Ian McElhinney (Game of Thrones) as Charlie, and Sally Lindsay (Cold Call) as Lisa. The extensive cast also features Alexander Arnold as Feeny, Lydia Page as Lola, Christine Bottomley as Tanya, Julie Dray as Ray, Pooky Quesnel as Sam, Jonathan Harden as Simon, Mickey Mason as Damian, Kevin Harvey as Tony, Cúán Hosty-Blaney as Liam, Eileen O’Higgins as Jo, Samuel Edward-Cook as Connor, Emily Flain as Eabha, Tareq Al-Jeddal as Albie, and Sam Hoare as Rusper.
Fans of the first season will be pleased to know that Parth Thakerar, Jonjo O’Neill, and Micah Balfour will reprise their roles as Saj, Hud, and Leon, respectively.
James Kent and Chris Baugh are directing the six-part series, which will air on BBC iPlayer and BBC One. Executive producers for Element include Kate Harwood, Rachel Dargavel, Ed Guiney, Andrew Lowe, and Christopher Aird, alongside writer Nick Leather and director James Kent. Gaynor Holmes serves as the Executive Producer for the BBC. Jonathan Curling is the series producer, with Maria Mulhall as producer. Global sales for the series are being handled by Fremantle.
Nick Leather expressed his excitement for the new setting, stating, “It’s so much fun to be embarking on a second Nightsleeper journey on a route I know so well with the Belfast-to-Liverpool ferry as our new box-of-tricks.”
Kate Harwood, an executive producer, added, “We’re excited to be filming this seafaring Nightsleeper adventure in Belfast, Titanic town itself, and to be casting off with such a brilliant bunch of actors led by Colin Morgan, Madeleine Mantock and Christian Cooke with superb directors James Kent and Chris Baugh helming. We look forward to taking Nightsleeper fans in the UK and abroad on another thrilling trip.”
Lindsay Salt, Director of BBC Drama, who commissioned Season 2, shared her enthusiasm: “We’re thrilled to have Colin, Madeleine and Christian lead this new series of Nightsleeper. Nick has delivered another brilliantly gripping story, and with danger lurking beneath the surface at every turn, viewers are in for a truly nail-biting journey.”
The first season proved to be a significant international success for distributor Fremantle, selling to 176 territories worldwide, including a deal with BritBox in the United States.