The new series will take them into a sinister world hidden behind the veneer of middle-class life
The newest series of hit Belfast police drama Blue Lights is only days away.
Written by Declan Lawn and Adam Patterson, the series follows the lives of PSNI officers and the impact of serving the people of Northern Ireland.
Blue Lights 3 kicks off two years into Grace, Annie and Tommy’s service as response officers and they are well accustomed to life under the blue lights.
READ MORE: Blue Lights creators say series 3 is ‘darkest’ and ‘most ambitious’ so farREAD MORE: Watch: Trailer released for series three of BBC’s Blue Lights
The new series will take them into a sinister world hidden behind the veneer of middle-class life to the “world of the accountants and lawyers who facilitate organised crime”.
The first episode of series three will air on BBC One at 9pm on Monday, September 29 and the full series will be available from 6am on the same day on BBC iPlayer.
At a set visit for Blue Lights 3 earlier this year the show’s main stars teased what will be in store for their characters this series, which creators Adam Patterson and Declan Lawn called the “darkest” so far.
Annie Conlon – Katherine Devlin
Across series one and two, Katherine Devlin has not shied away from her role as Annie Conlon, one of Blue Lights’ most complex and passionate characters.
From falling for new cop on the block Shane to giving Canning a smack, Annie’s personality came to shine even more in the last season.
Katherine said that things will take a heavier turn for Annie in the upcoming episodes as life outside the force becomes even more “intense”.
“With Annie’s storyline, the main thing for her is how she’s dealing with grief,” she explained.
“We see how different people deal with grief really as well – having this sort of family unit that she has within the police force and still having those questions in terms of whether she wants to do it or not and whether this is for her.
“She’s going through the motions of a lot of really intense health issues that are happening back home with her mum. So very heavy stuff.”
As for romance, she kept pretty tight-lipped on Annie-Shane’s will-they-won’t-they plotline but said the pair have a “nice dynamic” in series three as they continue to work closely together.
Stevie Neil – Martin McCann
As we wait to see what foodie wonders Stevie will whip up for the cop car in the new series, actor Martin McCann teased new conflict and pressures in his life.
“Stevie takes on a new role which is challenging – feeling whether it’s the right fit for him. Challenges with where he fits in into work and why he is doing it,” Martin said.
“There are some more grown-up themes with his personal life which he has to face, so a lot of challenges inside and outside of work.”
We left Grace and Stevie in the back of a taxi, driving off into the night as the pair finally accepted their feelings and got together.
Martin said that series 3 will explore how they navigate being a couple while working in the same environment and what difficulties can arise from that situation.
He continued: “The charm for Stevie and Grace, I find is that it isn’t really a Hollywood romance and is very grounded… more people can relate to that stop-starty, more authentic and less ‘fireworky’ vibe that goes on in real life.
“We don’t run down the alleyway in the pouring rain and jump into each other’s arms because that’s not real life. That’s where the charm lies I think – keep it more reflective of what goes on in daily life.”
Grace Ellis – Sian Brooke
Away from the long-awaited romance with Stevie, Sian Brooke said that we will dive in deeper to Grace’s backstory in this series and uncover why she has ended up serving in the PSNI.
She explained: “All of them are, at this moment in time, dissecting why they are in the job that they do – what is the driving force behind why they remain in this job that is relentless and quite brutal at times and rewarding.
“I think with Grace in this series, we can understand why, as I’ve said before, she is relentless in her pursuit of trying to change things.
“This huge social conscience she has – in this series, we delve into why it is so strong.”
Tommy Foster – Nathan Braniff
After seeing Tommy and Aisling’s relationship develop in series two, the couple are front and centre as Aisling takes on a more central role in Blue Lights 3.
Nathan said: “For Tommy, his character explores his relationships – goes into a bit more depth with obviously Aisling and Shane as well.
“I suppose towards the end, both of those relationships cause him a lot of hassle.”
Living and working with Aisling as her character explores a plotline on how police deal with on-the-job trauma, Nathan said the couple’s dynamic definitely begins to shift.
He continued: “It definitely probably adds pressure to the relationship, which I’m sure lots of people will be able to connect with because if you’re working with your partner all day and then you go home and you’re chilling with them all night and waking up in the morning together, it definitely puts a bit of pressure on the relationship
“For Tommy, he’s not exactly Mr. Romance, you know, so for him it’s been more about like working out exactly what he’s doing and trying to navigate having a girlfriend.”
The new series of Blue Lights starts on Monday 29 September on BBC One at 9pm, with the full series available on iPlayer from 6am that morning
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