David Tennant's New 3-Part Crime Thriller Series Debuts To Stellar Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score

Published Nov 6, 2026, 4:48 PM EST Abdullah Al-Ghamdi joined Screen Rant in August 2019 and is now one of the leading contributors of the TV News team. Having written over 4000 news stories in that time , with his work cited in Buzzfeed and TV Insider, he's always bemoaning that there's too many shows and not enough time. You can contact him at: aalghamdi@hey.com. David Tennant's new crime series is wowing audiences, as well as critics. It's a busy time for the Doctor Who icon. Just a few of Tennant's upcoming projects include Rivals season 3, continuing the raunchy drama's successful run on Hulu. He'll also guest star on another Hulu hit, Only Murders in the Building season 6, as well as joining the cast of The Four Seasons and sharing the screen with the likes of Tina Fey and Colman Domingo. Time is available to watch on BritBox in the U.S. A significantly more somber series, the BBC One anthology Time, recently returned for its third installment and features Tennant in the co-lead role of Bobby Bailey, a Custodial Manager working at what's described as a young offenders institution. But over the course of three episodes, it's clear that what the young offenders and their loved ones go through isn't nearly so simple and formal. Time season 3 has debuted to an impressive 88% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. Currently, that number is based on fewer than 50 user-submitted ratings, so it's possible that the score could change as more viewers catch up with the drama's return. The positive audience sentiment aligns with critics' assessment of season 3. It has a perfect 100% score on Rotten Tomatoes based on 8 reviews. Two-time BAFTA nominee Tennant appears alongside fellow nominee Siobhan Finneran, who reprises her role as Marie-Louise O'Dell, the prison chaplain, from the first two seasons of the anthology. In particular, Time season 3 focuses on Marie-Louise beginning at the young offenders institute, where she has a crisis of faith after everything she's seen. Things get worse once a tragedy strikes, putting Marie-Louise into direct conflict with Tennant's character. He has his own crisis of conscience, though, which is steadily manifesting in the form of guilt. Time season 3 likewise examines Peter and James, two teenage offenders, as they struggle with their incarceration. The show asks questions of whether James can ever face his broken parents after an unforgivable act of violence, and whether Peter can face the truth about an innocent's death over family loyalty. The friendship between Peter and James is also a major focus, with the BBC One Original also starring Daniel Ryan as Freddie Jennings, Jo Joyner as Nicola, Vinette Robinson as Erica, Louis McCartney as James, Ollie McNulty as Peter, and Chukwubuikem Molokwu as Christopher. Choose the movie with the higher Rotten Tomatoes score. On the whole, users on Rotten Tomatoes find Time season 3 to be largely compelling, particularly praising its strong performances, realistic storytelling, and emotionally intense subject matter. But while the general consensus concludes that the three-episode saga is powerful and moving, there are reviews that express how they feel the consistently bleak tone makes it difficult to connect with the characters. Release Date 2021 - 2025-00-00 Cast Siobhan Finneran Marie-Louise O'Dell Jodie Whitaker Orla O'Riordan Creator(s) Jimmy McGovern Time season 3 is written by series creator Jimmy McGovern and Samuel Bailey, with Paul Whittington directing. Previous cast members include Sean Bean (Game of Thrones), Stephen Graham (Adolescence), Jodie Whittaker (Doctor Who), Bella Ramsey (The Last of Us), and Tamara Lawrance (The Silent Twins).