Blue Lights’ Hannah lands key role in new series of Malpractice

Actress ‘excited to join lovely gang’ as ITV thriller begins shooting in Belfast

FILMING for the second series of a critically acclaimed ITV thriller has started in Belfast.

Shooting on Malpractice got under way yesterday.

Hannah Mcclean, who plays Jen in Blue Lights, is among the key members of the cast.

She is set to be busy in the coming months, with a third and fourth series of the police drama given the green light by the BBC.

For now, she is focusing on Malpractice, and said on social media it was “exciting to be joining this lovely gang”.

Helen Behan and Jordan Kouame are reprising their roles as Dr Norma Callahan and Dr George Adjei.

Tom Hughes, Selin Hizli, Zoe Telford, Seraphina Beh and Ace Bhatti are joining the cast.

The second series focuses on Dr James Ford, played by Hughes, a psychiatric registrar in a Yorkshire hospital whose personal life is a mess. His colleagues think he’s arrogant, but he appears committed to his vulnerable patients.

When he finds himself torn between a new mother attending a routine postnatal check-up and the sectioning of a psychotic woman during a busy on-call shift, no one can predict the terrible consequences.

The first series had the most watched launch episode of a new drama on ITV1 in 2023, with 6.7m viewers based on 28-day viewing. It was also sold to more than 70 countries.

Series two is written and created by Grace Ofori-attah — also the executive producer — alongside Simon Heath, Roderick Seligman and Emma Luffingham for World Productions. Episode three is written by Hannah K Richards.

Ms Ofori-attah said she was excited to get started and hoped audiences would enjoy the second series as much as the first.

She added: “I’m thrilled to be bringing back a second series of Malpractice.

“This time, I’m excited to be delving into the world of psychiatry, my medical specialty, with an incredible cast led by Tom Hughes, and fantastic crew led by Anthony Philipson. I can’t wait to get started,” she said.

The first three episodes will be directed by Anthony Philipson, with the fourth and fifth directed by Jennifer Sheridan.

World Productions chief executive Simon Heath believes Ms Ofori-attah can again captivate audiences with her writing.

He said: “Grace has delved even deeper into her personal history as a consultant psychiatrist to deliver both a brilliant thriller and timely look at a critical area of the NHS.

“Her great writing has once again attracted a stellar cast to join Helen Behan and Jordan Kouame to tell this new story.”