Holliday Grainger Talks BBC’s The Capture Series Three

Stepping Back Into Rachel’s Shoes

The BBC’s The Capture returns for a third series and here’s one of its stars Holliday Grainger talking about it…

How has Rachel’s character developed across the first two series?

When we first meet Carey in series one, she’s on the fast-track scheme in the Met – ambitious, determined, and not necessarily making friends. She discovers Correction, an illegal system of faking video evidence, and because of her strong moral compass, she becomes a whistleblower rather than looking the other way. Across series one and two, she fights to expose Correction, and by series three she’s risen rapidly through the ranks. She believes her integrity is intact but series three explores what happens when those morals begin to fracture.

What makes Ben Chanan’s scripts so enjoyable to read and perform?

I always get excited because I genuinely want to know what happens next. This series was particularly fun because Ben was still writing as we were filming, so I only had the first three episodes at the start. Carey doesn’t know what’s coming, and neither did I, so I could discover the story alongside her. It’s been exciting to be back in Ben’s world.

How was it stepping back into Carey’s character?

I relied on the research I did back in series one, including shadowing officers in the Met and speaking to fast-track DIs. Each series builds on that foundation. This time, Carey carries a gun for the first time, so we had firearms training. It’s always fun learning new skills and it was great feeling like an action hero for a moment!

How was it working with Killian Scott?

He’s a lovely person and a fantastic actor. Noah has so many different facets, and each episode reveals a different side of him. Watching Killian bring all of that to life has been really fun.

Series three includes more action. How did you find filming those sequences?

I love doing action scenes. The show is very cerebral, and I enjoy the long dialogue scenes and police work, but it’s also great fun doing chase sequences and action. It adds a different energy.

Can you tell us about sets and locations?

The sets are incredible, especially the Counter Terrorism Command ops room, which has the biggest screen I’ve ever seen. Episode five also takes us underground, using tunnels beneath Paddington and King’s Cross to double as secret government passageways. They’re eerie, historic, and visually striking, even if it was tough being underground for a week!

What makes The Capture stand out, and why do you think the show continues to resonate with viewers?

It’s a thriller and a detective drama, but it also has elements of science fiction. It feels like a long-form Black Mirror. Each series explores technology that feels just one step ahead of reality, from CCTV to deepfakes to AI. Ben takes real truths and asks “what if?”, encouraging audiences to question the world we’re living in. What once felt futuristic now feels real. People are still discovering the show, and its themes keep catching up with the world.

What do you think will shock or surprise viewers this series?

Everything. Every episode has a revelation, a twist, or a cliffhanger. I tried to guess what would happen and I didn’t succeed.