Honestly, the wait for The Bay Season 5 has felt longer than a rainy winter walk on the Morecambe pier. If you've been following DS Jenn Townsend and the Family Liaison Officer (FLO) team since the beginning, you know this show isn't just another police procedural. It’s about the messy, heartbreaking, and often quiet reality of grief. After the heavy-hitting events of the fourth series, fans have been scouring the web for any scrap of news regarding when we’re getting back to the coast.
ITV didn't keep us in suspense for too long, though. They officially greenlit the fifth installment back in 2023, and filming kicked off in the spring of 2024. The beauty of this show is how it anchors itself in the North West of England. It doesn't try to be London or Manchester. It’s Morecambe. Cold, beautiful, and complicated.
Who is Returning to the Cast?
Marsha Thomason is back. It’s hard to imagine the show without her now, even though she only joined in Season 3. She stepped into some pretty big shoes after Morven Christie’s departure, but Jenn Townsend has carved out her own space as a lead who feels human. She makes mistakes. She gets overwhelmed by her own blended family. That’s why people watch.
The "Manning-led" team is largely staying intact. Daniel Ryan is returning as DI Tony Manning. He’s basically the glue of the station. You can also expect to see Erin Shanagher as DS Karen Hobson and Andrew Dowbiggin as the often-abrasive DS James Clarke. Thomas Law is also slated to return as DC Eddie Martin.
New Faces and Guest Stars
Every season of The Bay lives or dies by its guest cast—the family at the center of the tragedy. For Season 5, ITV confirmed that the story revolves around the death of 23-year-old Hannah, a local student.
This brings in a whole new set of actors to play her grieving, and likely secretive, family. We’re looking at Leanne Best (Cold Feet), Neil Maskell (Utopia), and David Troughton. Having actors of this caliber suggests the emotional weight of Season 5 is going to be significant. It’s not just a "whodunnit." It’s a "how do they survive this?"
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The Plot: What Is Season 5 Actually About?
The core mystery this time around is the death of Hannah. She’s found in a situation that immediately raises red flags for the team. Jenn Townsend has to dive into the lives of a family that is already fractured.
Expect a lot of tension.
The official synopsis hints that Jenn will find herself caught between her professional duties and the raw, polarizing emotions of a community looking for someone to blame. The show has always been great at showing how a single crime ripples through a whole town. It’s not just about the victim; it’s about the shopkeeper down the street and the kids at school.
Jenn’s Personal Life
We can't ignore the home front. Jenn’s relationship with Chris (played by Barry Sloane) has been a slow burn of "will they, won't they" stay stable. Blended families are hard. Season 5 will likely push those boundaries further as Jenn’s work-life balance—or lack thereof—starts to bleed into her home life.
Why The Bay Stands Out in 2026
The TV landscape is crowded. There are a million detective shows. But The Bay Season 5 works because it focuses on the FLO role. Most shows care about the guys in white suits or the high-speed chases. This show cares about the person sitting on the sofa with a grieving mother, trying to get her to drink a cup of tea while also asking for her son's phone password.
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It’s tactile.
The production team, including writer Daragh Carville and executive producer Catherine Oldfield, have a knack for finding the "unspoken" parts of a crime. They don't shy away from the boredom of police work or the awkwardness of death.
Production and Filming Locations
If you go to Morecambe today, you might still see some of the remnants of the shoot. They use the real Stone Jetty. They use the real promenade. For Season 5, the production expanded slightly further into the surrounding Lancashire countryside to reflect the victim’s background as a student, likely touching on local university life or nearby villages.
The cinematography has always been a high point. Even when the weather is miserable, the show makes the Irish Sea look cinematic. It’s a character in itself.
The Schedule
The show typically follows a release pattern. While exact dates can shift due to post-production, The Bay Season 5 is expected to anchor ITV’s mid-year drama slate. Given that filming wrapped in late 2024, a 2025/2026 release window fits the standard turnaround for a high-end British drama of this scale.
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Common Misconceptions About the Show
A lot of people think The Bay is just a clone of Broadchurch. It’s a fair comparison on the surface—coastal town, dead body—but the DNA is different. Broadchurch was a "big event" drama. The Bay is more of an ensemble piece about a working-class police force.
Another misconception? That Jenn Townsend is "replacing" Lisa Madden. She isn't. The writers purposefully moved on. Jenn has a different temperament, a different family dynamic, and a different way of handling suspects. If you’re still waiting for Lisa to walk back through the door, you're missing the point of where the show has gone.
What To Do While You Wait
If you’re caught up on all four seasons, there are a few things you can do to prep for the premiere:
- Rewatch Season 4: Specifically, look at the evolution of the team's dynamics. The relationship between Manning and Jenn is much more settled now, which will be important for the trust required in Season 5.
- Follow the Cast: Marsha Thomason often shares behind-the-scenes glimpses on social media that give a sense of the "vibe" on set.
- Check Out "The Tower": If you like the grit of The Bay, ITV’s The Tower offers a similar level of grounded, realistic policing.
The reality is that The Bay Season 5 is shaping up to be the most emotionally complex series yet. By focusing on a younger victim and the specific pressures of 20-somethings in a coastal town, the writers are tapping into a very current set of anxieties. It’s going to be heavy, it’s going to be gray, and honestly, it’s probably going to be excellent.
Make sure your ITVX account is logged in and ready. When this drops, it’ll likely be a "box set" release, meaning you can binge the whole mystery in a weekend. Just maybe keep the tissues handy. Morecambe doesn't do happy endings without a lot of tears first.
Next Steps for Fans:
Keep an eye on the official ITV Press Centre for the specific air date announcement, which usually happens about two weeks before the first episode. You can also re-watch the previous seasons on ITVX or BritBox to refresh your memory on the specific interpersonal tensions between the DS Clarke and the rest of the team, as those are expected to boil over in the upcoming episodes.