The new series will see Damien and Clare-Hope Ashitey return to reprise their roles asDS Jack Weston and DC Charlie Steele, and introduce three new regular cast members, Lenora Crichlow (Being Human, Fast Girls, Sugar Rush, Black Mirror) as DS Alisha Brooks, James Murray (Cucumber, New Tricks, Defiance) as DCI Daniel Drummond and Perry Fitzpatrick (This Is England) as TDC Gary Roscoe.
Jack is back not only with a new team, but facing his toughest case yet, with the series launch tackling the loss of DI Martha Bellamy (played by Fay Ripley from series 1 to 4.)
Greg Barnett, Channel 5 Commissioning Editor, describes how the show has evolved for the upcoming series: “Our critically acclaimed, home-grown drama continues to evolve. For this fifth series we’ve expanded our cast and introduced a running narrative – it’s a dramatic bombshell from the very first episode which will keep viewers gripped across the entire series.”
Paul Marquess, Managing Director of production company Newman Street adds: “I’m incredibly excited about the new series of Suspects. We’ve kept all the elements our fans love; the authentic gritty feel combined with unpredictable and fast paced storylines, and for the first time, we’ve added in a narrative arc that will bind this series together and make it truly unmissable.”
Check out the official synopsis below.
The brand new series will launch with the shocking discovery of D.I. Martha Bellamy’s body by her daughter Daisy (Alexa Davis). It appears she’s been fatally shot in her own home, and with her father missing too, Daisy immediately calls D.S Jack Weston (Damien Molony). Leading this traumatic investigation is D.C.I Drummond (James Murray) with his trusted team T.D.C Gary Roscoe (Perry Fitzpatrick) and D.S Alisha Brooks (Lenora Crichlow). Together with D.C Charlie Steele and D.S Jack Weston, they leave no stone unturned in the hunt to find the killer.
As the pressure to find the killer mounts, tensions within the new team inevitably creep in as they navigate their new working relationship. DCI Drummond is a strong alpha male whose desire to control all elements of the investigation leads to clashes with the more gung-ho approach of D.S. Weston. Weston also has private concerns about D.S. Alisha Brooks’ loyalty, believing she is just a spy for DCI Drummond, and her work in the Department of Professional Standards only adds to his suspicions. Meanwhile, T.D.C Gary Roscoe appears to be a straight-forward copper who only wants to get results.
Suspects Series 5 will also be longer than previous series, comprising 6 episodes. It will premiere in the UK on Channel 5 later this year, an exact air date is yet to be confirmed.
With what's sure to be profound feelings over Martha's death, Jack, who's used to being top dog, is going to have a time of it dealing with an alpha male boss. Martha didn't take any bullshit, but they had a comfortable rapport. And add to the mix an untrustworthy DS... he's probably going to be extra sweary! I like that they are introducing a series arc to bind it all together. The S2 double episodes were my favorite because it gave them time to develop characters you actually were invested in. Sounds like S5 is going to be really dynamic!
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papillon... pamplemousse... bibliothèque... un baiser A lilt in his voice. Every sentence like music... #kisskisskiss A terrible beauty is born. Love me some #Jacksass
What? We lost Martha? Well I hope Jack will catch her killer, gonna miss Martha.
But I couldn't be more excited about this new series! This all sounds so new and there are big dramatic changes. And I can't wait to see Damien and Lenora together again!!
I'm still in shock reading about Martha! Nooooooo!
The new team dynamics are going to add even more gripping tension and drama to an already uber gripping show!
"DCI Drummond is a strong alpha male whose desire to control all elements of the investigation leads to clashes with the more gung-ho approach of D.S. Weston. Weston also has private concerns about D.S. Alisha Brooks’ loyalty, believing she is just a spy for DCI Drummond, and her work in the Department of Professional Standards only adds to his suspicions."
Excellent! Channel 5 were obviously listening when I said they needed to pull their finger out with starting to promote s5
That solves the mystery of what's happened to Martha - and answers the question was she ever going to come back But I think we'd pretty much already pieced most of this together. I'm really looking forward to having a series long story arc and really looking foward to seeing Lenora and Damien on my telly screen together again. Sounds like there's going to be a fair amount of tension between them all....I hope Jack manages to not fall out with Charlie! Can't deny I'm looking foward to seeing Jack clash with a 'strong alpha male'.....
Yes, it's good to see them promoting Suspects properly at last. I only hope they don't buff it up so much they lose what is good about it.
I'm shocked at Martha actually being killed off. She was never one of my favourite characters but I would have thought they'd have just given her a debilitating illness and brought her back another time.
I'm not sure how I feel about all the new characters, don't want them to take screen time from Jack - I also love the dynamism between him and Charlie.
Really looking forward to this coming back on screen. One thing's for sure, it will be mesmerising.
I'm shocked that they've actually killed off Martha too.....I think I'd imagined that she'd gone missing or something. It's pretty final! Unless she's gonna come back as a ghost.....
Believe me....I'd happily watch an entire 12 ep series of the Jack Weston show - so I totally get the concern that the addition of the new characters will mean less screen time for Damien but I absolutely think it's a good thing for the show....and that synopsis makes me feel quite optimistic. DS Jack Weston seems to be right at the centre of everything.....mostly causing trouble by the sound of it! Whereas poor Charlie barely gets a mention
I'm still coming to terms with Martha's fate! I am going to miss her lots, the show is Martha, Jack and Charlie ad their dynamic! The relationship she had with Jack too, who else is going to keep him in line in a way that doesn't set him off? And Jack's mild flirting with martha!
BUT - I am super excited for the new cast and see it as an opportunity to expand Jack's character actually - from the synopsis it sounds like he is going to have issues with two members of the team. Can't wait to see him rut with the DCI and be paranoid about the new DS!
I've always felt a bit meh about Martha so if anyone in the cast had to leave I prefer it to be her rather than Jack or Charlie. I do like that they've incorporated it into the storyline in such a dramatic way though. And I will miss Jack flirting with Martha!
Didn't Fay say she was terrified of the scriptless format? I think in an interview for S2? I'm sure she was only too happy to have Martha go in a sensational way and not have to show up for any filming. How better to have a character exit than to be the impetus for the shakeup in office dynamics and the new case. Which I suspect runs the overall story arc. I don't think something like a kidnapping would have worked because those cases are so time sensitive. That works for a two parter, but hard to strench out over more time. It had to be something to carry out through a whole series. Which we are finally getting! A whole 6 episodes!
I will miss the flirting though. My only hope was Jack would be flirting with the new DS, but the synopsis strikes that down.
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papillon... pamplemousse... bibliothèque... un baiser A lilt in his voice. Every sentence like music... #kisskisskiss A terrible beauty is born. Love me some #Jacksass
It does look like a dramatic departure and if she is going to leave at all, building it into the story is the right way to do it. Shot though?!😳 And the synopsis says Daisy's father is missing too? So many ways this case could go...
I've always felt a bit meh about Martha so if anyone in the cast had to leave I prefer it to be her rather than Jack or Charlie. I do like that they've incorporated it into the storyline in such a dramatic way though. And I will miss Jack flirting with Martha!
I agree totally with all of this. Martha being shot it about as dramatic an opening for the new series as you could get (I'm presuming that that's how the series will open) and although Martha grew on me over the series - mostly for her interactions with Jack - I certainly won't miss her as much as I would Charlie....and losing Jack would be....devastating - both for me and, I think, the series!
Getting antsy for this though I read somewhere that it's not coming out till Autumn? Did we discuss this already?
With all the DaMo announcements the past couple days, I was thinking 2016 is truly turning out to be The Year of the DaMo! But it's all getting concentrated into the later part of the year! Unless Suspects hurries up. And unless Tiger Raid is just around the corner. (Which I'm thinking is more likely summer/early Autumn).
I'm salivating to see all this goodness!
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papillon... pamplemousse... bibliothèque... un baiser A lilt in his voice. Every sentence like music... #kisskisskiss A terrible beauty is born. Love me some #Jacksass
In terms of more filming.. we don't know what Damo has been up to for the past few months, and remember they film Suspects at an unbelievably fast rate! Perhaps it is inevitable the thought would cross our minds about future cast changes, after Martha and the arrival of new cast. It is very hard to be unbiased and objective about it but the show wouldn't be the same without Jack!
Damien's "#comingsoon" made me feel hopeful about it being proper 'soon', but we've had these convos before about 'soon' meaning so many different things! lol!
Talk of the new series of Big Brother seems to be happening, and - although I don't actually watch it - it inevitably makes me think about Suspects. I wonder if Suspects will follow in it's wake again? If it does then I guess that would be in August sometime.....
Bejusus. Channel 5 do faff about with this show don't they? I'm amazed it's been given another series considering they have no idea how to deal with it. A series arc is odd for an ad lib show, will be interesting to see how that pans out.
And YEEES!!! Martha is a goner!
Ahem. I mean. Oh well
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* pretend there's a hot GIF of Jenna Coleman here :-) *