David Farnor | On 14, May 2022

The BBC is bringing back Guilt for a third and final season.

Created by Neil Forsyth (Eric, Ernie And Me, Bob Servant), it follows two disparate brothers, Max (Mark Bonnar) and Jake (Jamie Sives), who face the consequences of their guilt after accidentally killing an old man. After a second season, the BBC has now confirmed that Max and Jake are getting back together again for a final adventure.

The four-part third run, which is a co-production between BBC Scotland and BBC Two and produced by Expectation and Happy Tramp North, will also see the return of characters from both season. It will pick up with Max, after joining Jake in Chicago, returning to Scotland, where it becomes apparent the welcome they receive isn’t as warm or as straightforward as they might have hoped.

As they battle threats both old and new, it remains to be seen whether they get the happy ending they crave, or whether life conspires against them one more time.

Forsyth says: “We always saw Guilt as a trilogy so I am thrilled to be writing a final act for Max, Jake and some of the others we have met along the way. It is a story that will range from Chicago to Scotland, as our characters seek a final redemption.”

The series is commissioned by Louise Thornton, Head of Commissioning at BBC Scotland, and Jon Petrie, Commissioning Director, BBC Comedy. Gavin Smith and Gregor Sharp are commissioning executives for the BBC. Executive Producers are Nerys Evans for Expectation and Neil Webster for Happy Tramp North.

Thornton adds: “We are incredibly proud of Guilt. It was the first drama commission for the BBC Scotland channel in 2019 and we have been delighted with how it has been received by our audiences. To be able to bring it back for a third and final time gives us the chance to wrap up the story of Max and Jake which we know will involve some hair-raising and edge-of-the-seat moments which the audience have come to expect.”

Filming will begin on location in Scotland later this year. It will premiere on the BBC Scotland channel followed by a network showing on BBC Two.
 

Filming underway on Guilt Season 2

26th November 2020

Filming is now underway on Guilt Season 2, with a host of new cast members now confirmed.

The four-part sequel is once again written by Neil Forsyth (Eric, Ernie And Me, Bob Servant), co-produced by Expectation and Happy Tramp North and supported by Screen Scotland’s Broadcast Content Fund. Season 2 is another twisting, surprising story that picks up the action two years after the dramatic Season 1 finale, which as two disparate brothers, Max (Mark Bonnar) and Jake (Jamie Sives) face the consequences of their guilt after accidentally killing an old man.

Characters old and new will again battle the consequences of their guilty actions, amidst shocking new developments. The new cast includes Sara Vickers (Watchmen, Endeavour, Shetland), Phyllis Logan (Downtown Abbey, Doctor Who), Stuart Bowman (Bodyguard, Deadwater Fell), Ian Pirie (Chernobyl, Nothing To Declare), Greg McHugh (The A Word, Gary Tank Commander), Rochelle Neil (Episodes, Doctors) and Sandy McDade (EastEnders, Father Brown).

Mark Bonnar, who plays flawed lawyer Max, said he’s delighted to be back filming Guilt again: “I’m completely overjoyed that Guilt is getting a second series! Neil has crafted four amazing scripts with some cracking new characters and an immensely involving plot, full of twists and turns. He’s really putting us through the mill! And of course, I’m over the moon to be working with Jamie again. We’ve assembled a fantastic crew – many returning from series one – and I know they’re just as excited as us to be a part of this wonderful show.”

Writer and Executive Producer Neil Forsyth added: “I’m delighted that we’ve been given the opportunity to continue the Guilt story. Once again, we have an amazing cast and creative team and I can’t wait to see them bring the scripts to life”.

Guilt aired on both BBC Two and on BBC Scotland in 2019. To date, the joint commission has been watched by 3 million people across the UK, with more than half a million of those in Scotland, and it was the most-requested BBC Scotland title on BBC iPlayer during its initial linear run. Season 1 of Guilt is available now on BBC iPlayer.

Season 2 is expected to air on BBC Two and BBC Scotland in 2021.

 

BBC’s Guilt will return for Season 2

6th July 2020

Guilt will return to BBC Two and BBC Scotland for a second season.

Written by Neil Forsyth (Eric, Ernie And Me, Bob Servant) and co-produced by Expectation and Happy Tramp North, Guilt aired last year, following two disparate brothers, Max (Mark Bonnar) and Jake (Jamie Sives), who, while driving home from a wedding together one night, accidentally run over and kill an old man on a darkened street. After making the panicked decision to cover their tracks, the brothers seem to get away with their crime.

However, as neighbours and relatives of the dead man begin to suspect his death wasn’t as innocent as it initially seemed, the brothers find their lives rapidly falling apart, as their actions begin to catch up with them. Their increasingly desperate attempts to conceal their guilt lead them further into a world where everyone seems to have a hidden agenda and they discover they can trust no one, including each other.

With a cast that also included Bill Paterson (Fleabag, Inside No. 9), Ellie Haddington (Endeavour, Motherland), Ruth Bradley (The Split, The Fall) and Sian Brooke (Doctor Foster, Sherlock), Neil Forsyth’s drama proved a hit: it was watched by more than 3 million people across the UK, with more than half a million of those in Scotland. It was also one of the top three most-requested BBC Scotland titles on BBC iPlayer. It also won a number of awards including an RTS Award Scotland for Best Drama.

“Darkly funny and grippingly paced, this four-parter promises to be a jet black treat,” we wrote in our review of the show.

Patrick Holland, Controller, BBC Two, says: “Neil Forsyth’s Guilt was a dark gem in last year’s schedules and I am delighted that the team is returning for a new series. It was a real treat to have Neil’s sharp writing and the wonderful performances, weaving a brilliant tale of lies, deception and skulduggery. Audiences across the UK await series two with relish.”

Now, the Beeb has confirmed that it will return for a second four-part season. Filming aims to start later this year, subject to government guidelines relating to the coronavirus.

 

Bill Paterson and Mark Bonnar to star in BBC’s Guilt

9th April 2019

Bill Paterson and Mark Bonnar will star in BBC’s new drama Guilt.

The stylish contemporary drama, which is set in Edinburgh, is written by Neil Forsyth (Eric, Ernie And Me, Bob Servant) and made by Expectation and Happy Tramp North for BBC Scotland and BBC Two. Bonnar (Catastrophe, Line Of Duty, Unforgotten) stars alongside Jamie Sives (Chernobyl, Frontier, Game of Thrones) as two disparate brothers, Max (Bonnar) and Jake (Sives), who, while driving home from a wedding together one night, accidentally run over and kill an old man on a darkened street. After making the panicked decision to cover their tracks, the brothers seem to get away with their crime.

However, as neighbours and relatives of the dead man begin to suspect his death wasn’t as innocent as it initially seemed, the brothers find their lives rapidly falling apart, as their actions begin to catch up with them. Their increasingly desperate attempts to conceal their guilt lead them further into a world where everyone seems to have a hidden agenda and they discover they can trust no-one, ultimately including each other.

They’re joned by Bill Paterson (Fleabag, Inside No. 9), Emun Elliot (Filth, The Paradise), Ellie Haddington (Endeavour, Motherland), Ruth Bradley (The Split, The Fall), Sian Brooke (Doctor Foster, Sherlock) and Michael Nardone (Rellik, The Night Manager).

The series is co-produced by Expectation and Happy Tramp North and is part-funded by Screen Scotland’s Broadcast Content Fund. Written by Neil Forsyth, directed by Robert McKillop (Cleaning Up, Clique) and produced by Jules Hussey (Catherine The Great, My Mad Fat Diary), the Executive Producers are Neil Webster for Happy Tramp North and Kirstie Macdonald for Expectation.

Happy Tramp North, Executive Producer, Neil Webster, says: “We’re very excited to announce such a stellar cast for Guilt. With Mark and Jamie onboard as the brothers, we were confident we could build an incredible cast around them, but we have been blown away by the actors who have joined the project. It’s a testament to Neil Forsyth’s writing that Guilt has attracted a cast of this calibre.”

The series will premiere on BBC Scotland’s recently launched digital channel this year and then air on BBC Two. Filming begins in Scotland next week.

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