Silent Witness series 27 has come to a rather bittersweet end with another grisly crime solved, but no more of the Lyell Team for the foreseeable – so will there be a series 28 of the forensic drama?
The latest series of the BBC One flagship show finished with the two-parter entitled King’s Cross. In episodes 9 and 10, the team investigated when eight bodies were discovered entombed in a mass grave below the famous London Underground station.
Alongside CS Sheila Court and DI Steve Tudor (guest stars Hermione Norris and Neil Pearson), Nikki and Jack tried to uncover the identity of the man dubbed The King’s Cross Serial Killer.
While previous episodes have received some complaints, the season finale did not disappoint. So will there be a series 28 of Silent Witness? Here’s everything we know so far…
***Warning: spoilers from Silent Witness series 27 King’s Cross episodes ahead***
How did Silent Witness series 27 end?
At the end of Silent Witness episode King’s Cross: Part 2, the killer was revealed to be Carl Streeting. He confessed to Kevin Pryor after running from Jack and the police.
When questioned why he’d committed the eight murders 15 years before, he simply answered that he “couldn’t remember”. He then admitted it had been “practice”.
Former Sergeant Kevin called him a “monster”, although of course he had played a huge part in creating the monster – he’d loosened the cuffs allowing him to get away many years before when he was “just a lad”. The corrupt cop admitted he “had no idea what I was setting free”.
Years before, Carl had committed a serious assault, but Kevin had allowed him to walk free after allegedly “losing control” of him. Then the only other person who could have corroborated Kevin’s story ended up dead.
In shocking scenes, Kevin shot Carl in cold blood, sacrificing his own freedom for silence or revenge. Police arrested him beside Carl’s dead body.
Back at home, after the crime was solved, Jack (David Caves) and Nikki shared a tender moment when he proposed. He said: “I can’t imagine a day without you. Will you marry me, Nikki?” And, naturally, Nikki (Emilia Fox) said yes. Which of course means one of them will have to come to a gruesome end at some point in the future… Am I right?
Will there be a series 28 of Silent Witness?
Although the BBC has not yet confirmed whether there will be a series 28 of Silent Witness, we’d put a hefty sum on it being recommissioned.
Series 27 has proved as popular as ever, and there’s a good reason why it’s the longest running series on TV. Frankly, the Beeb would be bonkers not to bring it back – especially now that Nikki and Jack are getting married! A year should give us enough time to choose our hat.
A BBC spokesperson did tell ED! that an announcement would be made in the next few weeks, so watch this space.
Meanwhile, the show’s producer Jayne Chard discussed a possible series 28. Ahead of series 27, she spoke of how the series had undergone some major changes.
She went on to detail how the team had made alterations to the set and character wardrobes as well as adopting fresh production techniques.
On the series using virtual production methods for the very first time, she said: “That’s going to be a new and exciting way forward that has never happened on this show before. It’s just going to really expand what we can do in series 28.”
So if the producer is banking on a series 28, we think it’s safe to assume the series will return in January 2025. Or else we’ll riot.
Do viewers want another series?
Fans have loved series 27 of Silent Witness, and want it to return.
One X – formerly known as Twitter – user said: “I don’t want this series to end. It’s been quality from the first episode to the last. A credit to Emilia Fox and David Caves who have made it their own ably supported by a great ensemble cast. Team work makes the dream work. I can’t wait for series 28. #SilentWitness.”
Another eagle-eyed viewer noticed that series 28 had “appeared on IMDb!”
A third asked: “Fantastic episodes so far for series 27! Loving seeing the team back together! Can @EmiliaFox and @MrDavidCaves confirm that they will be continuing in #silentwitness for series 28 with the show moving to Birmingham?”
“Will there be a series 28 and will it reach the amazing milestone of series 30? #SilentWitness,” asked another.
Silent Witness series 1 to 27 are all currently available to watch on BBC iPlayer.
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