Fans of Unforgotten will be thrilled to hear that star Sanjeev Bhaskar has shared a very exciting update on the show's future.
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In a new interview, the actor who plays DI Sunny Khan in the much-loved detective drama revealed that filming for the ITV detective drama's upcoming fifth series is due to start in a matter of weeks.
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"We start filming in about two months," he told The Radio Times. "I think there are maybe some tweaks to go, but I've seen the scripts."
While viewers can expect to see some major changes to the show due to the fact that Nicola Walker will not be reprising her role as DS Cassie Stuart, Sanjeev reassured viewers that his character will remain the same as ever.
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"I haven't suddenly returned with a moustache and sort of like sideburns," he said. "The backpack is there. That's been enshrined."
As for who will be filling in Cassie's shoes as Sunny's new partner, Sanjeev remained tight-lipped but did reveal that season five will "pick up not long after the end of the last story".
Sanjeev Bhaskar will return without Nicola Walker in the new episodes
Discussing the new scripts, he said that there will be a "connection" to season four and praised creator and writer Chris Lang for his fantastic writing.
"Chris Lang, who has written all of them, has written this one," he added. "So yeah, it's very exciting reading the scripts, a bit weird not to see Nicola's character there, but I saw Nicola two, three times, I suppose, in the last couple of months, over Christmas. So we keep in touch a lot anyway."
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Chris himself confirmed last year that Sunny's new partner will be both a new character to the series and a female officer. "I certainly have begun conceiving the character, yeah. I'm actually working at the moment. And I had yeah, [the] script was commissioned before we even aired season four," he said back in May 2021.
"So I have a pretty good idea who she was and who she is and what her story is. And yes, it's a woman. But it will keep evolving until the day we deliver it because you still rewrite in the [series] edit."
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