There’s a TV series that has viewers gripped from the very first episode, with its tense storylines, emotional performances and difficult questions about the world we live in.
The drama has earned widespread praise from critics, with viewers drawn to its powerful characters and stories that stay with them long after the credits roll.
It has also attracted an impressive Rotten Tomatoes score, with its latest instalment earning particularly strong reviews.
And while some viewers have described it as a difficult watch, others believe that is precisely what makes it so compelling.
Fans are hooked on the gripping drama
The series has prompted plenty of discussion among fans, particularly over its intense storylines and the performances bringing its characters to life.
Some viewers might find its subject matter uncomfortable, but that has not stopped audiences from becoming invested in the people at the centre of the story.
Fans have praised the emotional depth, the tension and the way the drama explores complicated situations without offering easy answers.
For anyone looking for a series that goes beyond straightforward entertainment, it appears to have struck a chord.
Its anthology format also means that each instalment introduces a new central story, giving viewers a fresh set of characters and circumstances to become invested in.
What have critics said about the series?
The drama has received strong reviews throughout its run, with critics highlighting its writing, performances and willingness to confront uncomfortable social issues.
Writing for The Guardian, Lucy Mangan praised the first series, describing the performances of Sean Bean and Stephen Graham as ‘astonishing.’
She also highlighted the supporting cast, saying their performances made the drama more profoundly moving and enraging.
The first series earned a 100% critics’ score on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 23 reviews. The website’s critics’ consensus praised its challenging subject matter, strong writing and Bean’s performance.
The second series also received an impressive response, earning a 93% critics’ score from 15 reviews. Rotten Tomatoes’ consensus described it as gruelling but riveting, praising its ensemble cast.
The latest instalment has continued that critical momentum. In a review for Radio Times, Abby Robinson awarded the third series four out of five stars, describing it as one of the show’s most urgent instalments yet.
Meanwhile, Mangan wrote in The Guardian that the third series was ‘McGovern at his finest,’ praising its unflinching depiction of life inside a young offenders institution.
The latest season has a 100% Tomatometer score on Rotten Tomatoes, according to the supplied listing. That figure reflects the critics’ reviews rather than a percentage of viewers who have watched or enjoyed the show.
What is the series about?
The British crime drama is an anthology, meaning each series tells a different story while exploring the wider realities of life inside the prison system.
The first series follows Mark Cobden, a former teacher who finds himself struggling to adapt to prison life after being sentenced for causing a death through dangerous driving.
There, he encounters prison officer Eric McNally, who is trying to do his job while facing an impossible dilemma involving his own family.
The second series shifts the focus to a women’s prison, following three inmates whose lives and circumstances are very different. Orla O’Riordan is a single mother serving her first sentence, Abi Cochrane is serving a life sentence, and Kelsey Morgan is a pregnant woman struggling with addiction.
The third series moves into a young offenders institution, where violence, staff shortages and the pressures of confinement shape everyday life.
At its centre is veteran prison officer Bobby Bailey, whose faith in the institution is wearing away. Meanwhile, chaplain Marie-Louise O’Dell faces a crisis of faith of her own.
Rather than simply focusing on crime and punishment, the drama explores guilt, rehabilitation, responsibility and whether the prison system can genuinely help people change.
It does not excuse the actions of the inmates, but it asks audiences to consider the circumstances that can lead people towards violence and what might be needed to prevent it happening again.
Who stars in the acclaimed series?
The drama has featured a number of familiar faces across its three instalments, with each series bringing together a different cast.
The first season stars Sean Bean as Mark Cobden and Stephen Graham as prison officer Eric McNally. Both actors received praise for their performances, with Bean winning a BAFTA TV Award for Best Actor in 2022.
The second season features Jodie Whittaker as Orla O’Riordan, Tamara Lawrance as Abi Cochrane and Bella Ramsey as Kelsey Morgan. Siobhan Finneran also returns as chaplain Marie-Louise O’Dell, a character who appears across all three series.
The third instalment stars David Tennant as prison officer Bobby Bailey, alongside Finneran as Marie-Louise. The supporting cast includes Daniel Ryan, Vinette Robinson, Louis McCartney and Chukwubuikem Molokwu.
Molokwu plays Christopher Madubuko, also known as Ushindi, whose storyline is central to the latest season’s exploration of violence and life inside a young offenders institution.
Behind the scenes, the series was created by acclaimed writer Jimmy McGovern, known for socially conscious dramas that tackle difficult subjects.
The series viewers cannot stop talking about
With three seasons exploring different corners of the prison system, the drama has built a reputation for intense storytelling and performances that critics have repeatedly praised.
Its latest series aired in October 2026, bringing the current story to a close while continuing the show’s exploration of punishment, rehabilitation and the human cost of imprisonment.
The first two seasons also received strong critical responses, helping establish the programme as an acclaimed British crime drama.
The series is available on BBC iPlayer in the UK, giving viewers the chance to catch up on its previous instalments.
And the name of the drama earning all this attention? Time.
