Why ‘Time’ Won’t Return for Season 4

Meredith Jacobs November 3, 2026, 1:50 pm

Siobhan Finneran as Marie-Louise O'Dell, Chukwubuikem Molokwu as Christopher and David Tennant as Bobby Bailey — 'Time' Season 3 — BBC/BBC Studios/Peter Marley

Time, the British anthology crime drama created and written by Jimmy McGovern, wraps up its third season on Thursday, November 5, on BritBox. And so, of course that leads to the obvious question: Will there be another season?

The series has received positive reviews throughout its run, and as each season shows, there have been more stories to tell beyond the first. Read on for everything we know about the series’ future, including what McGovern has said.

Will there be a Time Season 4?

Simply put, no. “I don’t think there will be one,” McGovern told TV Insider.

Why is Time ending with Season 3?

As McGovern explained to us, “I think we’ve done men’s, we’ve done women’s, and we’ve done the young, so there’s nothing else really.”

He didn’t even plan for a second from the start.

“When I first set off, it was only going to be one series of three episodes in a men’s prison. I know what the BBC were expecting. They were expecting it to be fairly well received, but not popular, because that’s my stuff,” he laughed.

David Tennant as Bobby Bailey and Siobhan Finneran as Marie-Louise O'Dell — 'Time' Season 3

BBC/BBC Studios/Peter Marley

“It was well received, and it was massively popular. So only after it was shown did they say to me, ‘Can we do another one, please?’ And I said no, because all the low hanging fruit had gone, and I’d said everything I needed to say about a men’s prison,” he continued. “And then they suggested doing it in a female prison, which I kind of liked. And so only when the second one went out did we say to ourselves, well, we’ve got to do young offenders now, and that’s the three estates as we call them here, the three estates tackled. So no, originally, it was going to be one three-parter.”

What is Time about?

11 Best BritBox Originals, Ranked

Time follows the prisoners, guards, and chaplain at a men’s prison (Season 1), women’s prison (Season 2), and young offenders institution (Season 3).

Who stars in Time?

The cast has changed with each season, except for Siobhan Finneran as the prison chaplain Mary-Louise across all three. Season 1 also starred Sean Bean and Stephen Graham; Season 2 Jodie Whittaker, Tamara Lawrance, and Bella Ramsey; and Season 3 David Tennant.