BBC Announces 25th Anniversary Season For Forensic Crime Show Silent Witness

Sam Ryan Returns

BBC One’s hugely popular drama Silent Witness celebrates its 25th series with the dramatic return of Amanda Burton as Sam Ryan…

The longest-running crime drama currently airing on TV returns with six thrilling new episodes, opening in Liverpool with an assassination attempt and Sam Ryan calling on the Lyell team with a plea for help seventeen years after leaving the Lyell.

Sam seeks to usher in democratic health care, but the shooting of the Health Secretary and Sam’s husband pulls Dr Nikki Alexander (Emilia Fox), Jack Hodgson (David Caves) and Simone Tyler (Genesis Lynea) into a world of duplicity, intrigue and betrayal.

When the credibility of DNA testing is challenged, the bedrock of forensic science is called into question. Now uncertain of who or what they can trust, the Lyell team’s investigation draws them into confrontations with echoes of their personal histories, which threaten to unravel their present.

Silent Witness has been hugely successful, with average audiences of over seven million per week and has been one of BBC iPlayer’s most-requested shows.

Silent Witness is a BBC Studios production for BBC One. Executive Producers are Lawrence Till, Priscilla Parish, Caroline Levy, Emilia Fox and Ed Whitmore for BBC Studios and Jo McClellan for BBC One. Nick Lambon produces. BBC Studios handle global distribution. Past series of Silent Witness are available to catch-up on BBC iPlayer.

GJ

Quick Facts About Silent Witness

• Over 200 episodes have been produced during its incredible 25 year run with 6 brand new episodes airing in May 2022
• Over the last 12 months Silent Witness was the 3rd biggest drama on BBC iPlayer behind EastEnders and Line of Duty.
• Emilia Fox’s first appearance as Nikki Alexander was in the episode Nowhere Fast in Series 8, before becoming a permanent fixture at the Lyell Centre
• Amanda Burton makes a return to series 25 and first appeared in the lead role of pathologist Sam Ryan in 1996, starring in 54 episodes before leaving in 2004
• David Caves is Forensic Scientist Jack Hodgson and joined the series in 2013
• Genesis Lynea is Forensic Ecologist Simone Tyler and joined the team in 2021
• Silent Witness is enjoyed in 235 territories worldwide including – Australia – ABC and BBC First, US- BritBox, Germany- ZDF, Sweden SVT
• The first episode aired 21st February 1996
• The series has featured appearances from Idris Elba, Benedict Cumberbatch, Daisy Ridley, Nicholas Hoult, Jack Dee, Tamsin Egerton, Jason Watkins, Emily Mortimer, Jodie Comer, Martin Compston, Daniel Kaluuya
• Four new writers have been given the opportunity to write for this series – their first high-end TV writing credit