The BBC’s most underrated drama looks set to be returning after all.
Line of Duty, Peaky Blinders and Luther might be BBC shows that receive plenty of love, but there is one series that’s deserving of just as much acclaim: The Capture.
Ben Chanan’s deepfake thriller premiered in 2019, and had a gripping follow-up series that aired in 2022. But word has been quiet on whether there would be a third series, with many questioning whether the show would ever return to screens.
Excitingly for fans, there has now been some promising news via TV Zone, which suggests production listings hint that cameras could begin rolling on new episodes as soon as this spring.
Nothing is known about what a new series could entail, but it’s strongly suspected Holliday Grainger will return as DCI Rachel Carey.
Each series saw Carey investigating different mysteries, the first involving an ex soldier (Callum Turner) and the second focusing on Paapa Essiedu’s politician.
Other actors to have appeared in The Capture include Barry Ward, Ben Miles, Famke Janssen, Indira Varma, Ralph Ineson and Ron Perlman.
While the show is acclaimed on Rotten Tomatoes, with a score of 96 per cent, it definitely seems as if The Capture, which has amassed a cult fanbase, rides under the radar.
But with issues surrounding deepfake intensifying in the real world, now more than ever is a great time for the show to return.
In 2023, when Chanan was asked about a possible third series, he told Radio Times: “I can’t confirm or deny at this point. I’m so sorry.”
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Speaking about what could go down in future episodes, the writer added: “I think that the world of deep fakes and fake news and AI, it keeps developing.
“I think we went quite far with The Capture in terms of what the hell could happen next, in terms of the sort of fear of what could happen.”
Concerns around deepfakes – manipulated videos, images, or audio clips – have risen with the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) technology in recent years.
Chanan continued: “I think we went quite far across the two series, and I almost feel sometimes like I need to take a minute and wait for the news to catch up or for predictions, nightmare predictions of what’s next.
“Because it’s not so much a futuristic thing, it’s kind of a what’s happening now thing, and so part of me feels like I need to take a break and unfortunately wait to see where the news takes us and where the world takes us and then respond.”
The Independent has contacted the BBC for comment.
