Merlin actor Colin Morgan to star in ‘nail-biting’ second season of Nightsleeper

Merlin star Colin Morgan, The Long Song actress Madeleine Mantock and Rematch’s Christian Cooke star in a “nail-biting” second series of the thriller Nightsleeper.The first series of the BBC drama, released in 2024, was set on a train from Glasgow to London that gets hijacked by hackers before two strangers work together to save passengers from a deadly disaster.Moving the action from the railway to open water, the upcoming six-part second series will follow a Belfast-to-Liverpool passenger ferry as it becomes the target of another potentially deadly hack-attack.Colin Morgan attending the Benjamin premiere as part of the BFI London Film Festival at BFI in London (Ian West/PA)PA ArchiveAs the crew desperately try to hide the extent of the threat from the passengers, the ferry’s second engineer Johnny (Cooke) works with the National Cyber Security Centre’s (NCSC) new technical director, Stephen “Bo” Bowen, (Morgan), to try and stop the hackers.The series, currently being filmed in Belfast, was written by Bafta award-winner Nick Leather who said: “It’s so much fun to be embarking on a second Nightsleeper journey on a route I know so well with the Belfast-to-Liverpool ferry as our new box-of-tricks.“We’ve assembled such a wonderful cast, I’m so excited about our story and I can’t wait to welcome the audience onboard for a non-stop night to remember.”Madeleine Mantock attending the Olivier Awards at the Royal Albert Hall, London (Ian West/PA)PA ArchiveThe new season also stars Whitechapel actor Rupert Penry-Jones, Derry Girls star Ian McElhinney and Madame Blanc Mysteries actress Sally Lindsay.Meanwhile Gangs of London’s Parth Thakerar, Bad Sisters actor Jonjo O’Neill and EastEnders star Micah Balfour will reprise their roles as NCSC officers, Saj, Hud and Leon from the first series.Lindsay Salt, director of BBC Drama, said: “Nick has delivered another brilliantly gripping story, and with danger lurking beneath the surface at every turn, viewers are in for a truly nail-biting journey.Kate Harwood, executive producer, added: “We’re excited to be filming this sea faring Nightsleeper adventure in Belfast, Titanic town itself.Christian Cooke attends a photocall for ITV’s new drama Frauds at the Soho Hotel in London (Lucy North/PA)PA Archive“We look forward to taking Nightsleeper fans in the UK and abroad on another thrilling trip.”The first series of Nightsleeper, which starred Joe Cole, Alexandra Roach and Alex Ferns, can be streamed on BBC iPlayer.