Sean Bean Cut From Hit Crime Series?
Sean Bean just got cut from his latest series. It's a stunning blow for fans of the show who expected the actor to be back in his role
This article is more than 2 years old
Two of the most talented British actors working today are Sean Bean and Stephen Graham. The two of them delivered arguably their best performances to date in the BBC prison drama Time last year. The BBC has recently announced that Time will be returning for a second season, but Digital Spy reports that the show’s central stars won’t be returning.
Time‘s first season was told over three episodes, stunningly penned by returning writer Jimmy McGovern. The two central protagonists are played by Game of Thrones’ Sean Bean and Peaky Blinders’ Stephen Graham. Bean portrays Mark Cobden, a former teacher and first-time offender who is trying to come to terms with the terrible mistake that landed him in prison. And with this, he struggles to come to terms with the cut-throat nature of prison life, which puts several painful hurdles in his path to redemption. Stephen Graham stars as Eric McNally, an experienced prison guard watching over the likes of Sean Bean’s Mark Cobden. McNally is presented with an impossible set of circumstances when an inmate discovers that McNally’s son is incarcerated in another prison.
That premise promises heavy, hard-hitting drama, and Time more than delivers, which comes down mainly to the pitch-perfect performances from Sean Bean and Stephen Graham. So for fans of Time, the news of the show’s renewal will be somewhat bittersweet. For one thing, it’s amazing news that the BBC is bringing the series back for another run, but it is a shame its stars aren’t returning. Presumably, the show will feature new characters with new stories to tell. On that note, British tv magazine the RadioTimes understands that this new story could be set in an all-female prison. This opens up an opportunity for superstar British actresses to step into the shoes of Bean and Graham, maybe the likes of Killing Eve’s Jodie Comer?
Or perhaps the shoes of Sean Bean could be filled by the likes of Suranne Jones, who starred in another 2021 hit on the BBC, Vigil, which is available on Peacock Premium stateside. Vigil starred Jones as Detective Amy Silver, tasked with investigating a murder aboard a UK Nuclear submarine. Vigil joins time in being renewed by the BBC along with The Tourist starring Jamie Dornan and The Responder starring Martin Freeman. Four standout shows on the BBC all deserved of getting another shot at wowing audiences. To catch up on series one of Time to see Sean Bean and Stephen Graham in action, the show is available on Britbox, Prime and VUDU. The Tourist is available on HBO Max and The Responder can be enjoyed via Britbox.
Now that it appears both Sean Bean and Stephen Graham are free from returning for the second season of Time, what are the pair up to next? Sean Bean is currently appearing in the third season of Snowpiercer and Stephen Graham not only features in the latest season of Peaky Blinders but will be playing Mr. Wormwood in a new adaptation of Matilda. It should come as no surprise, that even after Time, these two gifted actors aren’t finding it hard to stay on audience’s screens.
