Details

Suranne Jones and Rose Leslie return for another high-stakes investigation as Vigil heads into the Arctic for its third series, coming to DVD in the UK this October.

Having previously taken its investigations beneath the waves aboard a nuclear submarine and into the dangerous world of military drone technology, the acclaimed BBC thriller changes location once again as DCI Amy Silva (Suranne Jones) and DI Kirsten Longacre (Rose Leslie) become involved in a murder investigation with potentially explosive international consequences.

A member of a covert British special forces operation has been shot dead in Svalbard, the remote Norwegian archipelago deep within the Arctic Circle.

With the circumstances surrounding the soldier's death far from clear, Kirsten travels to Svalbard to investigate, while Amy works the case from Scotland. What initially appears to be the murder of a British serviceman soon draws the detectives into a considerably larger web of military secrecy, intelligence operations and competing international interests.

The Arctic itself has become increasingly valuable. As the changing climate opens previously inaccessible possibilities for shipping, energy and natural resources, major world powers including Britain, Russia and China have competing interests in the region. Against this politically sensitive backdrop, identifying the killer becomes about considerably more than solving a murder.

With the possibility that a single mistake could provoke an international confrontation, Kirsten must work alongside Svalbard's Chief of Police Henrick Becken (Jeppe Beck Laursen) while attempting to establish who she can trust among the soldiers, scientists, officials and intelligence personnel surrounding the investigation.

Back in Britain, Amy finds herself once again dealing with Sir Ian Downing (Dominic Mafham), whose involvement with the security services means that the information available to the police isn't necessarily the complete story.

The investigation also places another strain on Amy and Kirsten's relationship. Now balancing their demanding careers with family life, the physical distance between them becomes increasingly significant as Kirsten's situation in the Arctic grows more dangerous and the pair begin to question both the motives of those around them and the true purpose of the British mission.

Suranne Jones and Rose Leslie return as Amy Silva and Kirsten Longacre, alongside Gary Lewis as Colin Robertson and Dominic Mafham as Sir Ian Downing.

The new investigation introduces a sizeable supporting cast including Jeppe Beck Laursen as Svalbard police chief Henrick Becken, Naomi Yang as microbiologist Shen Jia, Tornike Gogrichiani as Russian Colonel Fyodor, Steven Miller and Benjamin Wainwright as Special Boat Service operators Mark Cunningham and Oli Pickford, Danusia Samal as Jasmine Kelly and Amy Manson as geologist Lorna McCallister.

Eric Godon also appears as Mayor Korotayev, while Steven Cree, Derek Riddell, Jason Tobin, Kaisa Hammarlund and Artur Zai Barrera are among the ensemble drawn into the increasingly complex investigation.

Created by Tom Edge and produced by World Productions, the company behind Line of Duty, Showtrial and Until I Kill You, the six-part third series was written by Edge alongside Tom Mair and Eve Hedderwick Turner. Gareth Bryn and Faye Gilbert share directing duties, with production taking place in both Scotland and Svalbard, giving the latest investigation a strikingly different environment from the previous two series.

Originally premiering on BBC One and BBC iPlayer on 30th August 2026, Vigil: Series Three will be released on DVD in the UK on 5th October 2026 by ITV Studios Home Entertainment.