Unforgotten is a British crime drama television series, which initially aired on ITV on 8 October 2015. It is written by creator Chris Lang and directed by Andy Wilson. The programme follows two London detectives, DCI Cassie Stuart and DI Sunny Khan, as they solve cold cases of disappearance and murder. Three series, each consisting of six episodes, have been broadcast in the UK: Series 1 in 2015, Series 2 in 2017 and Series 3 in 2018. Each series deals with a new case, introducing seemingly unconnected characters who are gradually revealed to have some relationship with the victim. As the murder mystery unfolds, the emotional ramifications of the crime are also explored in the lives of those affected. Unforgotten has received critical acclaim, with Tom Courtenay winning the 2016 BAFTA TV Award for Best Supporting Actor for the first series and Mark Bonnar winning the 2017 BAFTA Scotland for Best Actor in Television for the second series. A fourth series was scheduled to be made in 2019. It is most likely to be aired in 2020.
Plot
The first series focuses on the murder of James "Jimmy" Sullivan, a seventeen-year-old who disappeared in 1976. His remains are discovered during the demolition of a house in North London. The second series follows the murder of David Walker, a Conservative Party consultant who went missing in 1990. His saponified remains are found in a suitcase buried in the River Lea in north-east London. The third series investigates the murder of schoolgirl Hayley Reid, who disappeared from a seaside resort town on New Year's Eve 1999. Her skeleton is discovered by workmen repairing the central reservation of the M1 motorway in London.
Episodes 1 – 5's ratings are based on 28-day data from BARB for ITV and ITV+1 and 7-day data for ITV HD. Episode 6's ratings are based on 28-day data from BARB for ITV, ITV+1 and ITV HD.
Series 2 (2017)
Series 3 (2018)
Series 4 (2020)
After the third series had been aired on ITV, the broadcaster announced that a fourth series had been picked up for production. “ will be about our relationship with the police," Lang said. "I think I if I had to describe it, I’d say it's both a love letter and a j’accuses, which again reflects that slightly conflicted relationship that I think a lot of us have with the police. I hope it's primarily a love letter. So that's that's what it's about. And again of course tracks the lives of four people, two men, two women. And follows Sunny and Cassie on their journey as well." Production of series four was set to start in September 2019. However, ITV only confirmed that series four had begun filming on 14 January 2020.
Production
Filming for the first series began in March 2015 and lasted for twelve weeks. Locations included Liverpool, the London suburbs, Kingston upon Thames, the Essex coast, Westminster, and the Fens. After the unexpected success of the initial series, ITV commissioned a second series, with Lang returning as writer and Wilson as director. It was shot on location by the River Lea, in the Cotswolds, and along the promenade in Brighton. A third series order was announced on 2 March 2017, following strong viewing figures. Scenes were set in Lymington, Uxbridge, Amersham, Clifton in Bristol, Ealing in London, and King's Lynn and Hunstanton in Norfolk. An empty mansion at Bulstrode Park in Buckinghamshire provided the setting for the police station and lab. Only seven weeks after filming wrapped, the third series began broadcasting in the UK on 15 July 2018.
International broadcast
Prior to the UK broadcast of the third series, the first series premiered on 8 April 2018 in the United States, as part of PBSMasterpiece Mystery. After two back-to-back episodes were aired each week, the second series was similarly broadcast as three weekly parts from 29 April 2018 to 13 May 2018. Series 3 premiered on 7 April 2019.
Remake
A US remake is in development for ABC, with Josh Berman, Sony Pictures Television and BBC Worldwide Productions. Retitled Suspects, it will feature a new cast and crew. Chris Lang will not be involved in the US version, and Nicola Walker will not make an appearance.
