ITV have confirmed the fate of The Bay's future following the release of series four. The channel announced in a statement released on Tuesday that they have commissioned a fifth series which will commence filming later this year.
The drama, which stars Marsha Thomason and Daniel Ryan in the leading roles, confirmed in a statement that read: "Filming begins later this year on the new series, with further casting news to be announced.
"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."
Series four, which aired earlier this year, saw Marsha return as Jenn Townsend, having settled in to Morecambe CID alongside cast regulars Daniel Ryan, Erin Shanagher, Andrew Dowbiggin and Thomas Law.
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The gripping drama followed the MIU team as they investigated he death of mum Beth Metcalf in a horrific arson attack. The synopsis explains: "Jenn immediately realises this shattered family will need every support available to them. Bereft husband Dean finds himself at sea.
"Numb from shock and completely unprepared for being the sole carer to his four children he struggles at every turn – unable to process what's happened. As Jenn, Manning and the team dig deeper into the case, they discover secrets and lies lurk beneath every surface."
The episodes also saw the return of Barry Sloane as Chris Fischer, Jenn's partner, and Georgia Scholes as Chris's daughter Erin, and David Carpenter and Emme Hayes as Conor and Maddie, Jenn's children.
Before the news of series five was confirmed, fans were initially worried that the police cuts that were referenced in the show might have been a hint that the drama was coming to a natural conclusion. However, Marsha was quick to dispel these worries. Chatting with Digital Spy, she said: "No I don't think it's about that.
"Listen, do you think they're trying to end the show? No. They want these shows to go on as long as possible. That's just more about the state of policing, all the cutbacks all the time. That's what that's about."
Polly Hill, ITV's Head of Drama, added: "We're delighted to be returning to Morecambe for another series of The Bay. The series is a huge success story for ITV and we're grateful to Catherine Oldfield, Daragh Carville and the team at Tall Story Pictures for continuing to create compelling stories and characters."
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