ITV and Tall Story Pictures have announced filming is underway on the sixth series of ‘The Bay’, as Morecambe’s Major Investigation Unit returns for another emotional murder investigation.
The new series sees Marsha Thomason (Cobra, White Collar) back as DS Jenn Townsend, Morecambe MIU’s Family Liaison Officer, alongside returning cast regulars Daniel Ryan (The Hack, Dear England) as DI Tony Manning, Andrew Dowbiggin (Coronation Street) and Olwen May (Happy Valley, Riot Women). Also returning are Suzanne Packer (Casualty, Keeping Faith) as Jenn’s mum, Anne Townsend, 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.
Series 6 centres on the murder of teenage foster child Logan Marsden. As the investigation unfolds, divisions within the local community place additional strain on the case, with suspicion moving from those closest to Logan to figures connected to a criminal operation in the area. As hidden dangers and unexpected connections come to light, Jenn and Manning also find themselves dealing with personal challenges at home, testing their resilience as they work to uncover the truth for Logan and his family.
Joining the new run as guest cast are Claire Calbraith (Mr Bates vs the Post Office, Anne) and Alec Newman (Dept. Q, The Boys in the Boat) as Rebecca and Joe Hollis, Logan’s foster parents.
“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,” said Catherine Oldfield, Creative Director of Tall Story Pictures and Executive Producer of ‘The Bay’.
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, with Drama Commissioner Callum Dziedzic and Assistant Commissioner, Drama and Comedy, Louise Ogunnaike overseeing production from the broadcaster’s side.
The series 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, supported by Tall Story Pictures.
Tall Story Pictures’ Amy Thurgood executive produces alongside Catherine Oldfield and Daragh Carville. Brian O’Malley (Nine Bodies in a Mexican Morgue, Frauds) directs episodes 1 to 3, with Bindu De Stoppani (Girl Taken, Silent Witness) directing episodes 4 to 6. Martin Campbell returns to produce.
The renewal is not exactly a huge shock, given series 5 was one of ITV’s top dramas in 2025, launching with 6.4 million viewers for episode 1 and averaging 6.0 million across the series. ITVX streaming hours were also up 8% year-on-year, making it one of the platform’s highest-performing returning dramas of the year. Internationally, the drama has now sold to more than 140 countries.
‘The Bay’ Series 6 does not yet have a premiere date but will air on ITV1 and STV, and stream on ITVX and STV Player in the UK. If you want to keep track of this or any other shows, you can add them via our Never Miss system, and you’ll be notified when it gets a UK premiere date. Visit Never Miss.
Login to Geektown