Rumours are spreading that the second series of gritty BBC prison drama Time could be partly filmed in North Wales. Sean Bean and Stephen Graham starred in the first series but the latest episodes will be set in a women's prison and feature former Dr Who actor Jodie Whittaker.
Speculation is growing that a site near Bodelwyddan Castle is being turned into a makeshift "prison" for scenes to be shot later this month.
It is understood filming is currently taking place "in and around Liverpool" but the BBC wouldn't comment on whether North Wales was a location
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The show, which was described by viewers as “difficult to watch”, focused on the prison system in the UK through the eyes of the two characters whose situations couldn't have been more different, reports YorkshireLive.
And now the hugely popular drama is back with a second series, only this time in a female institution as it follows the lives of the prison's latest inmates, who will arrive on the same day.
It has been announced that Huddersfield-born Jodie Whittaker will take over from Sean Bean as the leading role in series two.
![Bodelwyddan Castle](https://i2-prod.dailypost.co.uk/incoming/article20738511.ece/ALTERNATES/s615b/0_JS188105570.jpg)
Whittaker will play the role of prison inmate Orla, and the series will follow her character's story. She will feature alongside Happy Valley star, Siobhan Finneran , who is reprising her role as prison chaplain Marie-Louise.
She will also feature alongside Bella Ramsey, who starred in US dystopian series "The Last of Us" star, whose character is called Kelsey.
The Silent Twins star Tamara Lawrance will also be joining the cast.
Ahead of filming starting Whittaker, who recently left her starring role on Doctor Who , 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."
Bella Ramsey, an English actress, said: "I'm very happy to be a part of this project, working with an incredible team and following on from a stellar first season. And it's such an honour to be Kelsey, I’m really excited to experience the world through her for a few months."
![Jodie Whittaker will pay Orla in the second series of Time.](https://i2-prod.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/article26856079.ece/ALTERNATES/s615b/0_DPP_DPW_050523TimeWhittaker_1JPG.jpg)
Happy Valley's Siobhan Finneran said: "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."
Tamara Lawrance, playing Abi, 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. I'm excited for us to platform the complexity of these characters and their experiences."
Much like the first series which aired in 2021, featuring Sean Bean and Stephen Graham, the story will be told through the inmates' perspectives as they arrive at Carlingford high-security prison on the same day.
The drama is being teased as "a gripping tale of forging a community in a violent and unfamiliar setting".
The three-episode run of Time, co-written by Jimmy McGovern and Helen Black, aims to shine a new light on the criminal system in the UK.
BBC's director of drama Lindsay Salt said: "Jimmy McGovern and Helen Black's scripts are nothing short of extraordinary, and in Bella, Jodie and Tamara we've found the perfect acting talents to bring these utterly compelling central characters to life.
"With Siobhan Finneran reprising her role from series one and Andrea Harkin in the director's chair, BBC viewers are in for a remarkable three hours of television."
It is understood the second series is being filmed in and around Liverpool at present but a BBC spokesman wouldn't comment on specific locations.
Time series one is available to stream on BBC iPlayer now.
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