UNFORGOTTEN: CASTING ANNOUNCED FOR SIXTH SERIES OF ITV DRAMA AS FILMING BEGINS

ITV drama Unforgotten, created and written by multi award-winning screenwriter Chris Lang and produced by Mainstreet Pictures, has commenced filming for a sixth series.  

Sinéad Keenan and Sanjeev Bhaskar reprise their roles as DCI Jess James and DI Sunil 'Sunny' Khan as their dynamic on-screen partnership returns to investigate emotionally charged cold cases from the past, unravelling secrets and unearthing buried truths along the way.

Joining Sinéad and Sanjeev for this series are Victoria Hamilton, MyAnna Buring, acting newcomers Max Fairley and Elham Elas and legendary British actors Jan Francis and Damien Maloney with returning performances from Andrew Lancel as Jess’s husband Steve and Kate Robbins as her mother Kate.

Jess and Sunny’s loyal and hard-working police team are also back including Jordan Long as DS Murray Boulting, Carolina Main as DC Fran Lingley and Pippa Nixon as DC Kaz Willets. Georgia Mackenzie who plays Pathologist Dr Leanne Balcombe is also returning to the series.

When suspected human remains are discovered on Whitney Marsh, Jess and Sunny are called to the scene, ditching their respective plans for the evening much to Jess’s husband Steve’s chagrin.

With Dr Balcombe’s expert analysis of the human spine, it’s evident the remains are relatively recent and her guess is the body was put there already dismembered. With this knowledge Jess and Sunny begin to search the area believing other body parts may not be too far away.

In the meantime, we’re introduced to outspoken television commentator Melinda Ricci (MyAnna Buring) who is based in Ireland and renowned for her forthright views, Martin ‘Marty’ Baines (Max Fairley) an autistic man who lives with his mother, Dot, in Deal, Kent, Asif Syed (Elham Elas), an Afghan who speaks fluent English and is training for his UK citizenship test, and Juliet Cooper (Victoria Hamilton) who is a History Lecturer and Faculty Head at a central London University.  

Each of these characters live separate lives, yet they are intrinsically linked by their past and it’s for Jess, Sunny and their team to unravel these connections in search of the truth, and ultimately, who perpetrated the cold case murder.

Sinéad Keenan said: “I am absolutely delighted to be stepping into the world of Unforgotten once more. To be involved with the incredible team at Mainstreet on yet another set of stellar scripts from Chris Lang, with the brilliant Andy Wilson at the helm is a real treat. And to get to work again with Sanjeev, Carolina, Jordan, Pippa, and Georgia is an absolute joy. To call it work is a total misnomer. I can’t wait to get started!”

Sanjeev Bhaskar said: “I’m humbled and excited to be back as Sunny Khan, bearing the backpack for series 6 of Unforgotten.  Chris’s scripts, as ever, are intriguing, detailed and empathetic.  Andy’s direction and the skill of Sinead and the cast make this a warm and creative experience that so much more than a job. Once again I feel lucky to be a part of it.”

ITV's Huw Kennair Jones said: "We’re thrilled that filming has started on series 6. Once again Chris has woven a brilliant story with a great cast of new characters, that promises to keep Unforgotten’s many fans gripped until the final frame.”  

Writer Chris Lang said: “I'm incredibly excited to be about to start filming the sixth series of Unforgotten, with a story that has been gestating for nearly eight years, since the 23rd June 2016, when our country seemed to fracture in two. The UK, and indeed the world, has today never seemed more divided, and series six attempts to try and understand how we got to where we are now, and perhaps more importantly, where we can go from here.”

Exec producer Sally Haynes said: “After the huge success of Series 5 with the brilliant team of Sinéad Keenan and Sanjeev Bhaskar, Chris has once again delivered a compelling and timely story that reflects the world we live in through the mystery of a dismembered corpse buried in marshland and the people whose lives connected with him.  It’s going to be another gripping ride.”

Series 1-5 of Unforgotten is available for streaming now on ITVX.