BBC UNVEILS DRAMA SLATE FOR 2026, NEW AND RETURNING TITLES REVEALED

The BBC have unveiled some of new and returning drama titles airing across its channels in 2026.

THE NIGHT MANAGER

Jonathan Pine thought he’d buried his past. Now living as Alex Goodwin - a low-level MI6 officer running a quiet surveillance unit in London - his life is comfortingly uneventful. Then one night a chance sighting of an old Roper mercenary prompts a call to action and leads Pine to a violent encounter with a new player: Colombian businessman Teddy Dos Santos.

 LORD OF THE FLIES

The story of a group of young schoolchildren who find themselves stranded on a tropical island with no adults, following a deadly plane crash. In an attempt to remain civil, the boys organise themselves, led by Ralph and supported by the group’s intellectual, Piggy. But Jack, who is in charge of signal fire duty, is more interested in hunting and vying for leadership and soon begins to draw other boys away from the order of the group and, ultimately, from hope to tragedy.

 WAITING FOR THE OUT

BAFTA nominated Josh Finan (The Responder) leads the cast as Dan, a philosopher who begins teaching a class of men in prison. Each week, Dan leads discussions about dominance, freedom, luck and other topics that have troubled philosophers for thousands of years – topics that gain a new meaning when seen through the prisoners’ eyes - both igniting passions and creating tension.

 LYNLEY

Tommy Lynley is a brilliant police detective but an outsider in the force – simply by virtue of his aristocratic upbringing. He is paired with Barbara Havers, a sergeant with a maverick attitude and a working-class background. With seemingly nothing in common and against all odds, the mismatched duo of Lynley and Havers become a formidable team, bonded by their desire to see justice done.

 THE WALSH SISTERS

The series revolves around characters from five of the novels by Marian Keyes, one of the most successful Irish novelists of all time, including international bestsellers Rachel’s Holiday and Anybody Out There. Marian’s many accolades include five Irish Book Awards and being named Author of the Year at the prestigious British Book Awards in 2022. Since her first novel was published in 1995, more than 39 million copies of Keyes’ books have been sold around the world, translated into 36 languages.

 DEAR ENGLAND

Dear England is a new four-part drama series about Gareth Southgate and the England men’s football team. It’s time to change the game. The country that gave the world football has since delivered a painful pattern of loss. Why can’t the England team win at their own game? With the worst track record for penalties in the world, Gareth Southgate knows he needs to open his mind and face up to the years of hurt to take team and country back to the promised land.

 HALF MAN

The series follows estranged ‘brothers’ Niall (Jamie Bell) and Ruben (Richard Gadd). When Ruben shows up unexpectedly at Niall’s wedding, it leads to an explosion of violence that catapults us back through their lives. Spanning almost 40 years from the 1980s to the present day, this ambitious series will cover the highs and lows of the brothers' relationship, from them meeting as teenagers to their falling out as adults – with all the good, bad, terrible, funny, angry, and challenging moments along the way.

 THIS CITY IS OURS

Picking up from where things were left at the end of series one, Michael and Diana have barely arrived in Spain when they are dragged back into the fold to answer questions around Ricardo’s death. Back in Liverpool, tensions continue to bubble amongst the remaining members of the gang. Meanwhile, an old school gangster from Ronnie's era, recently out of prison, wants compensation from the firm.

 THE CAPTURE

The Capture is returning for a third series, created, written and executive produced by BAFTA-winning Ben Chanan. Holliday Grainger will return to lead the cast, with Killian Scott (Strike, Kaos, Dublin Murders) joining The Capture for series three in a pivotal role. How do you protect the truth, in a world where lies are daily currency? And with the proliferation of deepfakes, how can we trust what we see?

 THE CAGE

The Cage is written and created by BAFTA nominated Tony Schumacher (The Responder) and stars Bafta award-winner Sheridan Smith (Cilla, The C Word, Mrs Biggs) and Michael Socha (The Gallows Pole, Showtrial). It is a high-stakes, high energy crime story set within the world of a Liverpool Casino with two unforgettable characters at its heart.

 THE CAPTURE

Adapted from Liz Jensen’s bestselling novel, The Rapture is a high-stakes thriller which crackles with danger. Set in a heatwave, with protestors on the streets, forensic psychologist Gabs Fox (Ruth Madeley) starts a new job at a high-security psychiatric hospital where she meets 17-year-old Bethany Krall (India Amarteifio). Bethany was convicted of murdering her mother but claims she is innocent. She is estranged from her father Leonard (Sam Hazeldine – The Lord of The Rings: The Rings of Power, Slow Horses), who is the charismatic leader of an influential religious movement.

 THE SPLIT UP

Kishan Law is a British-Asian high net worth family law firm in Manchester, noted for its clientele and its reputation. They are the ‘go to firm’ for Manchester’s elite who come to them for their excellence, integrity, and discretion. But the future and legacy of Kishan Law hangs in the balance when a family secret from the past comes to light, throwing their professional and personal lives into turmoil.

The Split Up (6 x 60) explores the weight of parental expectations, the forces that keep families together and the truths that tear them apart. Welcome to Kishan Law. Welcome to the family.

 VIGIL

Suranne Jones and Rose Leslie return as DCI Amy Silva and DI Kirsten Longacre. Their new case takes them to a remote Arctic research station, where a member of a covert British special forces mission has been shot dead.

 THE OTHER BENNETT SISTER

The Other Bennet Sister is a fresh spin around the ballroom for one of Jane Austen’s most unassuming characters: Mary Bennet – the seemingly unremarkable and overlooked middle sister in Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice.

The series follows Mary, played by Ella Bruccoleri, as she steps out of her sisters’ shadows in search of her own identity and purpose – finding herself in the middle of an epic love story along the way. Her journey will see her leave her family home in Meryton for the soirees of Regency London and the peaks and vales of the Lake District, all in search of independence, self-love and reinvention.

 ENDLESS NIGHT

Sarah Phelps (The Sixth Commandment, A Very British Scandal) returns to adapt Endless Night, the classic mystery novel by the best-selling author of all time. It’s 1967 and man-of-many-trades Michael Rogers finds himself working as chauffeur for the enigmatic designer du jour Rudolf Santonix, snatching a glimpse into a glamorous world of outrageous wealth that's far from his own upbringing.

 A GOOD GIRL'S GUIDE TO MURDER

After solving the Andie Bell case Pip‘s world has been transformed by her actions, and not always for the better. Pip is determined to fix the fallout - and stay away from any more investigations. But as Max Hastings’ trial approaches, key witness Jamie Reynolds suddenly disappears and Pip finds herself in a race against time to find him. This new mystery will take Pip to unexpected places as she struggles with the idea of justice, straying even further from the 'good girl' she once was.

 MARBLE HALL MURDERS

Marble Hall Murders is an adaptation of the third and final instalment in best-selling novelist Anthony Horowitz's Susan Ryeland series. Lesley Manville (The Crown, Phantom Thread) stars as Susan Ryeland, a book editor who all too often finds herself involved in baffling murders.

 STRIKE: THE RUNNING GRAVE

Tom Burke and Holliday Grainger return for the next instalment of Strike in The Running Grave, the seventh (5x60min) story of the BBC’s hit crime drama in co-production with HBO and Warner Bros. Discovery and based on J.K. Rowling’s best-selling crime novels written under the pseudonym Robert Galbraith.

Transmission details will be announced in due course.