THE BAY: NEW AND RETURNING CAST ANNOUNCED FOR SIXTH SERIES OF ITV DRAMA AS FILMING BEGINS

ITV and Tall Story Pictures announce filming has commenced on the latest series of the hit drama, The Bay.

The sixth series sees Marsha Thomason (Cobra, White Collar) star as Morecambe MIU’s Family Liaison Officer, DS Jenn Townsend alongside cast regulars Daniel Ryan (The Hack, Dear England), Andrew Dowbiggin (Coronation Street) and Olwen May (Happy Valley, Riot Women).

Suzanne Packer (Casualty, Keeping Faith) returns as Jenn’s mum, Anne Townsend, alongside Tara Lynne O’Neill (The Full Monty, Derry Girls) as Sinead, DI Tony Manning’s partner and Jacob Butler (Coronation Street, It’s A Sin) as Kieran, Manning’s son.

Morecambe’s Major Investigation Unit is back to investigate the murder of teenage foster child, Logan Marsden. As the case unfolds, divisions in the local community add further strain to the case, and suspicion shifts from people closest to him to figures linked to a criminal operation in the area - revealing hidden dangers and unexpected connections.

Away from the case, Jenn and Manning are dealing with personal challenges at home, testing their resilience and professionalism as they fight to get answers for Logan and his family.

Joining the new series as guest cast are Claire Calbraith (Mr Bates vs the Post Office, Anne) and Alec Newman (Dept. Q, Boys in the Boat) as Rebecca and Joe Hollis, Logan’s foster parents.

Catherine Oldfield, Creative Director of Tall Story Pictures and Executive Producer of The Bay said, “When we first set out to tell our story of a Family Liaison Officer in Morecambe, we never could have imagined we’d get to a sixth series. But it is an absolute treat to give the fans another series of DS Jenn Townsend and the team for another enthralling and emotional story. Tall Story are delighted to be back on the Morecambe beat.”

Daragh Carville, Writer and Executive Producer added: “It's an honour and a pleasure to return to Morecambe for series 6 of The Bay. Once again the indomitable Marsha Thomason will lead the team alongside the mighty Daniel Ryan, and together with a brilliant guest cast they'll be delving into a compelling new story, a murder mystery that begins with a shocking discovery in a fairground on the prom.”

The Bay is commissioned for ITV by Director of Drama, Polly Hill, and will premiere on ITV1 and STV and will be available to stream on ITVX and STV Player. Drama Commissioner Callum Dziedzic and assistant Commissioner, Drama and Comedy, Louise Ogunnaike will oversee production of the drama from the broadcaster’s perspective. 

The Bay is co-created and written by award-winning writer and playwright Daragh Carville, and produced by Tall Story Pictures, part of ITV Studios. Caroline Carver, Shyam Poppat, Bridget Deane and Evan Placey complete the writing team.

Bridget Deane was previously part of the ITV Studios Disabled Writer's in Development Programme which was supported by Tall Story Pictures.

Tall Story Pictures’ Amy Thurgood, Executive Produces alongside Catherine and Daragh. The series sees Brian O’Malley (Nine Bodies in a Mexican Morgue, Frauds) directing episodes 1-3, with Bindu De Stoppani (Girl Taken, Silent Witness) directing 4-6, Martin Campbell returns to produce.

Series 5 of The Bay was one of ITVs top dramas in 2025, returning with 6.4 million for episode 1 and averaging 6.0 million across the series. Additionally on ITVX, streaming hours were up 8% year-on-year, ranking it as one of the highest-performing returning dramas on the platform in 2025. 

Sold in over 140 countries across the world, ITV Studios is responsible for the international distribution of The Bay.

The Bay is available now on ITVX.