Everything we know about ‘Silent Witness’ season 28

One of the oldest (non-soap) drama series is returning for a landmark 28th season—and more! Silent Witness season 28 will see the return of Emilia Fox’s Dr. Nikki Alexander and David Caves’ Jack Hodgson as viewers are transported back to the Lyell Center. Five new harrowing murder cases await the team this season, as they are joined by two new staff members.

The team at the Lyell Center assists a varying roster of police detectives with their inquiries, using forensic pathology and cutting-edge scientific advancements to identify victims and scope out crime scenes for evidence. Silent Witness is, by far, one of the most haunting shows on the BBC—the theme tune certainly sets the tone for the series—so it’s no wonder season 28 isn’t the final season. The BBC has already confirmed that season 29 (29!) is on the way, with pre-production having begun for a 2026 release.

So, now that we know Silent Witness isn’t going anywhere anytime soon, let’s learn more about season 28, shall we?

When will Silent Witness season 28 be released?

The BBC has confirmed that Silent Witness season 28 will be released in early 2025. Though they haven’t revealed an exact release date yet, the previous two seasons were released in January, so we expect that to be the release window again. The show will be broadcast on BBC One and stream on BBC iPlayer in the U.K. The series will be available soon after that on BritBox in North America, though when it will premiere is still unclear.

The cast of Silent Witness season 28

Emilia Fox and David Caves will return as Dr. Nikki Alexander and Jack Hodgson, respectively. Joining them are Silent Witness newcomers Maggie Steed (Paddington 2), who will play Harriet Maven, the new Head of the Lyell Center, and Francesca Mills (The Witcher: Blood Origin), who will portray a Crime Analyst named Kit Brooks.

Interestingly, the BBC’s official press release for season 28 makes no mention of last season’s other cast members and whether or not they will return. This includes Alastair Michael’s character Velvy Schur, Aki Omoshaybi’s character Gabriel Folukoya, and Rhiannon May’s Cara Connelly. As such, the ensemble may see a significant shake-up this season.

The plot of Silent Witness season 28

So far, the BBC has only revealed the vague plot of season 28’s first episode. It reads as follows:

“The new series opens with a disturbing mystery, when the death of an elderly woman found in a cave has the team asking what drives a person to murder someone so vulnerable. We also get an introduction to the two dynamic new team members.”

As there will be 10 episodes this season, with two episodes per mystery, the first episode (and possibly the second) may mark the handover from the old ensemble to the new, especially if we are introduced to our two new leading players early on. If the rest of season 27’s cast is only featured in the first story, that might explain why they weren’t named in the BBC’s press release.

Though we don’t know much about the new season’s cases yet, there was a significant shift in Nikki and Jack’s relationship last season: they got engaged. That means there’s a solid chance we’ll see a Silent Witness wedding this season, though given their track record—and Nikki’s terrible sense of self-preservation—I’m bracing myself for the worst.