Colin Morgan, Madeleine Mantock and Christian Cooke Set to Headline Nightsleeper Season 2
The BBC has confirmed that Colin Morgan, Madeleine Mantock and Christian Cooke will front the returning cast of the real‑time thriller Nightsleeper for its second series. The trio steps into the roles previously held by Joe Cole and Ruth Madeley, joining a seasoned ensemble that includes Rupert Penry‑Jones (Spooks), Ian McElhinney (Game of Thrones) and Sally Lindsay (Cold Call).
New Faces and Familiar Talent
Morgan, best known for The Boy That Never Was, will portray Stephen “Bo” Bowen, the fresh technical director from the National Cyber Security Centre. Madeleine Mantock, recognised for her work in The Long Song, takes on the character Beth, while Christian Cooke, whose credits include Frauds and Cemetery Junction, plays Johnny, the ferry’s second engineer.
Supporting the leads are a host of accomplished actors: Alexander Arnold (Yesterday) as Feeny, Lydia Page (The Confessions of Frannie Langton) as Lola, Christine Bottomley (Sherwood) as Tanya, Julie Dray (Crashing) as Ray, Pooky Quesnel (Tip Toe) as Sam, Jonathan Harden (Blue Lights) as Simon, Mickey Mason (Silo) as Damian, Kevin Harvey (This City is Ours) as Tony, Cúán Hosty‑Blaney (Say Nothing) as Liam, Eileen O’Higgins (Brooklyn) as Jo, Samuel Edward‑Cook (Peaky Blinders) as Connor, Emily Flain (How to Get to Heaven from Belfast) as Eabha, Tareq Al‑Jeddal (Animol) as Albie and Sam Hoare (The Capture) as Rusper.
Series veterans Parth Thakerar (Brassic), Jonjo O’Neill (Bad Sisters) and Micah Balfour (EastEnders) will reprise their roles as Saj, Hud and Leon from the inaugural run.
Production Shift: From Train to Ferry
While the first series unfolded aboard an overnight train, Nightsleeper Season 2 relocates the tension to the open water. A Belfast‑to‑Liverpool passenger ferry becomes the focal point of a potentially lethal cyber‑attack. As the crew scrambles to conceal the danger from passengers, Johnny (Cooke) must collaborate with Bo (Morgan) to thwart the threat.
The series is being produced by Element Pictures, the company behind Normal People. Filming is currently underway in Belfast, with backing from Northern Ireland Screen. Nick Leather returns as writer, while James Kent and Chris Baugh share directing duties. Executive production is handled by Kate Harwood, Rachel Dargavel, Ed Guiney, Andrew Lowe and Christopher Aird for Element, alongside Leather and Kent, with Gaynor Holmes representing the BBC. Jonathan Curling serves as series producer and Maria Mulhall as producer. Fremantle, Element’s parent company, will manage global sales.
Behind the Scenes
Element took over the production of Nightsleeper after the closure of Euston Films, a Fremantle label that had originally launched the series. The debut season proved a commercial triumph, selling to 176 territories worldwide, including a U.S. release on BritBox.
Harwood, who oversaw Euston and remains an executive producer, commented on the new shoot:
“We’re excited to be filming this sea‑faring Nightsleeper adventure in Belfast, Titanic town itself, and to be casting off with such a brilliant bunch of actors led by Colin Morgan, Madeleine Mantock and Christian Cooke with superb directors James Kent and Chris Baugh helming. We look forward to taking Nightsleeper fans in the UK and abroad on another thrilling trip.”
BBC’s Perspective
Lindsay Salt, Director of BBC Drama, who commissioned the second series, added:
“We’re thrilled to have Colin, Madeleine and Christian lead this new series of Nightsleeper. Nick has delivered another brilliantly gripping story, and with danger lurking beneath the surface at every turn, viewers are in for a truly nail‑biting journey.”
Release Outlook
Nightsleeper Season 2 will debut as a six‑part serial on BBC iPlayer and BBC One. The shift from rail to maritime settings promises fresh suspense, while the strong creative team and stellar cast aim to build on the momentum of the inaugural run.
