Will There Be A Blue Lights Series 5?

One of the best UK crime dramas in recent years, Blue Lights has had the nation gripped since the start. Still reeling from that emotional series 4 finale, we’re already desperate to know if and when we’ll get a fifth season. Here’s everything we know about Blue Lights series 5.

What Is Blue Lights About? 

Created and written by Declan Lawn and Adam Patterson, this Northern Irish police procedural drama first came to our screens back in 2023. Backdropped by the politics of Belfast, Northern Ireland, Blue Lights centres on three new PSNI probationary recruits as they navigate the uniquely complex landscape. This includes Siân Brooke as 40-something former social worker Grace Ellis, Martin McCann as the inept but desperate to prove himself Stevie Neil, and Katherine Devlin as Annie Conlon, a young woman who struggles with the fact that her chosen path may mean having to leave everything she’s ever known behind.

Set in the fictional Blackthorn Station, the award-winning series captures the day-to-day pressure, danger, and adrenaline of responding to emergency calls, all intertwined with complicated romances, devastating losses and tense investigations.

Photographer: Peter Marley. Credit: BBC/Two Cities Television. Copyright: Two Cities Television

What Happened In Blue Lights Series 4? (Spoilers Ahead…)

In the series 4 finale we see Blackthorn police station close its doors for the last time, due to budget cuts and department downsizing, as the officers prepare themselves for new postings elsewhere. 

The episode opens on the fallout of that cliffhanger explosion. Anti-immigrant protestor Kate Close was the target of the bomb but it was officer Annie Conlon who ended up in the crossfire. 

The bomb had been planted by the Ginley clan – led by Dana Morgan – who we discover planned the conflict to distract the police from their growing drugs empire. Katie and Annie both survive the blast, but while Annie is able to walk away (much to the relief of potential love interest Shane) Katie needs an intensive care admission. Dana, meanwhile, is finally arrested for her crimes. 

Back at the station, the truth about James McIntyre’s relationship with the police finally comes to light. It was revealed that the criminal and others like him were being granted immunity from MI5 in exchange for intelligence. As the story breaks, Tina and Mo McIntyre’s lives are immediately under threat from dissidents left outraged by his side line as a police informant.

Amidst the goodbyes, there was some good news for Grace. Not only did she make detective, but Stevie finally proposed – and she said yes. 

Annie and Grace in Blue Lights. Photographer: Peter Marley. Credit: BBC/Two Cities Television. Copyright: Two Cities Television

Will There Be A Series 5?

With so many storylines tied up in the finale, and Blackthorn station seemingly gone for good, series 5 doesn’t feel like a particularly certain prospect. Though there’s no news yet from the BBC about a potential Blue Lights series 5, that doesn’t mean it’s off the cards.

Where seasons 3 and 4 were commissioned together, creators Lawn and Patterson have suggested that they’re ready to take a break before deciding what comes next. Speaking to The Irish Times, Lawn explained that they wanted to step back and consider the show’s future, while Patterson described the latest instalment as the end of a chapter.

Katherine Devlin, who plays Annie, also shared an emotional goodbye message on social media thanking her character, Annie, and the show’s fans after the season aired, leaving viewers worried that she was leaving or, worse, that the show might not return.

Who Would Star?

For now, no casting announcements have been made. Should the drama return, we’d hope to see the central cast back, including:

• Siân Brooke as Grace Ellis
• Martin McCann as Stevie Neil
• Katherine Devlin as Annie Conlon
• Nathan Braniff as Tommy Foster
• Joanne Crawford as Helen McNally
• Andi Osho as Sandra Cliff
• Frank Blake as Shane Bradley

When Would We Get A Series 5?

In an industry with ever-widening gaps between seasons, when it comes to Blue Lights, we’ve been blessed with a new series every year. If it was confirmed for a series 5, we have our fingers crossed for an autumn 2027 release date. But if there is a longer break between seasons, as the creators have teased, we may have to wait slightly longer for the next instalment. 

The first four series of Blue Lights are available to stream on BBC iPlayer.

WATCH