The Bay gives huge update on show's future

The main cast of The Bay season 4
(Image credit: ITV/Jonathan Birch / © Tall Story Pictures 2023)

The Bay will return for a fifth series, it has been confirmed, and we've got our first details about the new case that the team will face.

ITV has said that the hit police drama The Bay had been renewed for a fifth series which will once again be written by Daragh Carville.

ITV's announcement didn't give too much info about what to expect from the new series, though it did briefly tease what the next case will entail. It said: 

"The fifth series will see the latest case for Morecambe MIU focusing on the emotionally complex life of a divided family. With the father and mother of the victim bitterly divorced, Jenn Townsend and the team will have to tread very carefully to keep the whole family onside."

Of the news, Catherine Oldfield, Executive Producer at Tall Story Pictures said: "Daragh and I couldn't be happier to be heading back to Morecambe with Marsha and the team for another case. We love making the show and so we're delighted to be producing another series for ITV and viewers at home and abroad."

Filming on the latest series is due to take place later this year, and further casting for The Bay series 5 will be announced in due course. Hopefully, we'll also find out when we can expect to see the new series on our screens soon, too. 

The Bay season 4 aired on ITV earlier in 2023 and saw Family Liaison Officer Jenn Townsend (Marsha Thomason) tackling a new case in Morecambe. Over five episodes, the latest series saw Jenn, Tonny Manning (Daniel Ryan), and the Morecambe MIU crew working on a horrific arson case. Working with construction worker Dean Metcalf, the team tried to root out who was responsible for starting the house fire that took the life of his wife, Beth.

The Bay season 5 will commence filming in 2023. Seasons 1-4 can stream on-demand on ITVX in the UK and BritBox in the US. If you're looking for shows to watch in the meantime, check out our guide to the best ITV dramas you should be streaming right now.

Martin Shore
Staff Writer at WhatToWatch.com

Martin was a Staff Writer with WhatToWatch.com, where he produced a variety of articles focused on the latest and greatest films and TV shows. Now he works for our sister site Tom's Guide in the same role.

Some of his favorite shows are What We Do In The Shadows, Bridgerton, Gangs of London, The Witcher, Doctor Who, and Ghosts. When he’s not watching TV or at the movies, Martin’s probably still in front of a screen playing the latest video games, reading, or watching the NFL.