The BBC has today released the first images for season 3 of their hit crime drama Blue Lights, along with the names of some new cast and characters. Let’s take a look at what viewers can expect to see in the new series.
Blue Lights Season 3 Overview
The storyline for the third series of Blue Lights sees officers Grace, Annie and Tommy now two years into their policing roles and now more accustomed to life in the Belfast force. This season, however, will see the trio’s work take them into an even more sinister world, a world which usually remains hidden behind the front of middle-class Belfast society.
Morgan (CATHY TYSON) – Credit: BBC/Two Cities Television – Photographer: Peter Marley
This is a world where accountants and lawyers now form the backbone of organised crime. The old political and criminal structures have collapsed, replaced by a new global gang dominance in Belfast, bringing unprecedented threats directly to our officers’ doorstep.
The pictures we’ve included in this article have just been released by the BBC as a first look from filming of Blue Lights season 3, ahead of its premiere on BBC television and BBC iPlayer.
Annie Conlon (KATHERINE DEVLIN) – Credit: BBC/Two Cities Television – Photographer: Peter Marley
New Cast and Characters
Joining the show’s cast for series 3 are English actress Cathy Tyson, who’s previously starred in Boiling Point (2023), Criminal Record (2024), and Dune: Prophecy (2024). Cathy plays the owner of a private members club named Dana Morgan. Also joining the cast in 2025 is the Northern Irish comedian and actor Michael Smiley, who you may have seen in Bad Sisters (2022-2024), Generation Z (2024), and Ragdoll (2021), playing intelligence officer Paul ‘Colly’ Collins.
Blue Lights Cast List – Series 3 (2025)
- Character Name – Actor
-
- Grace — Siân Brooke (Good Omens)
- Stevie — Martin McCann (Calibre)
- Annie — Katherine Devlin (Vikings)
- Tommy — Nathan Braniff
- Helen — Joanne Crawford
- Sandra — Andi Osho (I May Destroy You)
- Shane — Frank Blake
- Tina — Abigail McGibbon
- Aisling — Dearbháile McKinney
- Nicola — Andrea Irvine
- Dana Morgan — Cathy Tyson (Boiling Point)
- Paul ‘Colly’ Collins — Michael Smiley (Bad Sisters
What’s Blue Light’s About?
For anyone who hasn’t seen either of the first two seasons of Blue Lights and are wondering what specifically the crime drama revolves around, the series is a tense Northern Irish police drama that puts viewers on the front line of policing in Belfast. The series follows three probationary officers, Grace, Annie, and Tommy, who join the fictional Blackthorn police station and quickly discover the personal and professional pressures that come with working for the Police Service of Northern Ireland.
Colly (MICHAEL SMILEY) – Credit: BBC/Two Cities Television – Photographer: Steffan Hill
Created by Belfast writers Declan Lawn and Adam Patterson, and produced by Two Cities Television, the show draws heavily on the writers’ journalistic backgrounds, combining realism with powerful character storytelling.
Filmed entirely on location in Belfast, the production captures the city’s distinctive atmosphere. Key areas such as High Street, Dundonald, Monkstown, and the Granton Park housing estate provide authenticity, grounding the drama in a sense of place.
The first series premiered on BBC One in March 2023, earning praise for its mix of emotional depth and gritty storytelling. The narrative introduced viewers to the high-stakes environment of Belfast policing, where new recruits not only deal with routine crime but also confront the city’s lingering sectarian divides.
Its success led to a second series, which began airing in April 2024. Set a year later, the story shows the rookie officers more established in their roles but facing escalating threats from criminal gangs, as well as personal challenges that test their resilience.
The second series proved a ratings hit, drawing an average audience of 5.6 million across its run. Its opening episode attracted around 7 million viewers, making it the BBC’s fourth biggest drama launch of the year. In Northern Ireland, Blue Lights went even further, emerging as the most-watched drama across all broadcasters and streaming platforms in both 2023 and 2024.