Unforgotten is a British crime drama television series, which initially aired on ITV on 8 October 2015. It is written by creator Chris Lang and directed by Andy Wilson. The programme follows two London detectives, DCI Cassie Stuart (Nicola Walker) and DI Sunny Khan (Sanjeev Bhaskar), as they solve cold cases of disappearance and murder.
Three series, each consisting of six episodes, have been broadcast in the UK: Series 1 in 2015, Series 2 in 2017 and Series 3 in 2018. Each series deals with a new case, introducing seemingly unconnected characters who are gradually revealed to have some relationship with the victim. As the murder mystery unfolds, the emotional ramifications of the crime are also explored in the lives of those affected.
Unforgotten has received critical acclaim, with Tom Courtenay winning the 2016 BAFTA TV Award for Best Supporting Actor for the first series and Mark Bonnar winning the 2017 BAFTA Scotland for Best Actor in Television for the second series.
A fourth series was scheduled to be made in autumn 2019, however, ITV only confirmed in January 2020 that filming had commenced, with broadcasting now put back to late 2020 or early 2021.
The first series focuses on the murder of James “Jimmy” Sullivan (Harley Alexander-Sule), a seventeen-year-old who disappeared in 1976. His remains are discovered during the demolition of a house in North London.
The second series follows the murder of David Walker (Daniel Gosling), a Conservative Party consultant who went missing in 1990. His saponified remains are found in a suitcase buried in the River Lea in north-east London.
The third series investigates the murder of schoolgirl Hayley Reid (Bronagh Waugh), who disappeared from a seaside resort town on New Year’s Eve 1999. Her skeleton is discovered by workmen repairing the central reservation of the M1 motorway in London.