Silent Witness series 29 has been given the green light, with lead stars Emilia Fox and David Caves set to return as Nikki Alexander and Jack Hodgson.

The forensic series is the longest running crime drama currently airing on TV anywhere in the world - and there's absolutely no sign of it ending any time soon.

The series continues to have legs. As well as a complex mystery to solve ever week, there's a revolving-door of cast members and, of course, the ever-evolving relationship between Nikki and Jack. They got together in the 25th anniversary season in 2022, after sharing a kiss at the end of series 24 in 2021. By the series 27 finale, they were engaged, and series 28 sees them get married.

Who knows what the future holds in Silent Witness series 29 - babies perhaps? Here's everything we know so far.

Will there be a season 29 of Silent Witness?

BBC One has confirmed that Silent Witness will return for a 29th series.

The 2026 run began pre-production early this year in Birmingham, with filming expected to begin in March 2025. In fact, according to Production List, the cast and crew will start filming on March 31, 2025.

The ever-popular forensic drama will follow on from series 28 - when Nikki Alexander and Jack Hodgson got married after years of will-they-won't-they teasing.

Will there be a Silent Witness in 2026?

Silent Witness series 29 is expected to air in early 2026. The crime drama historically starts in early January every year - unless there's a pesky pandemic in the way.

Series 28 started in January 2025, while series 27 started in January 2024. So fans can expect to see series 29 land in January 2026. The series generally has 10 episodes which go out every Monday and Tuesday for five weeks, in two-hander episodes.

Who's in the cast?

Emilia Fox and David Caves will be back as newlyweds Nikki Alexander and Jack Hodgson. Emilia has played Nikki ever since 2004, when she replaced Amanda Burton as the leading character.

Jack joined nine years later in 2013. There have been dozens of seminal characters over the course of the series' run - including William Gaminara as Professor Leo Dalton (2002-2017), Tom Ward as Dr Harry Cunningham (2002-2012), Richard Lintern as Dr Thomas Chamberlain (2014-2020), and Liz Carr as Clarissa Mullery (2013-2020).

Series 28 saw another bunch of cast change hands. Gone were Rhiannon Jones' Cara Connelly, Aki Omoshaybi's Professor Gabriel Folukoya, and Alastair Michael's Velvy Schur. Instead, newcomers Harriet (played by Maggie Steed) and Kit (Francesca Mills) joined the cast.

We're expecting them to return in series 29, alongside the usual cast of guest stars who complete every episode.

Why is Silent Witness so popular?

Emilia Fox believes the appeal of the show lies in the premise of the show itself. She says it's "testament to the creator, Nigel McCrery".

The actress said: "To look at solving crime with a lead female pathologist in a man's world was inspired and original. Finding clues through the body was a new way of looking at crime solving, and it gave it a real humanity.

"In finding out how someone died, you learn about their life. A show about death makes you think about the meaning of life. It's got more depth to it than just solving who did it. It's got so many different layers looking at humanity."

Meanwhile, co-star David adds: "Aside from the fact that the stories are very good, what the writers really do so well is come up with different takes on subjects.

"You would have thought that by now we would have exhausted the canon of crime and murders, but the writers always find new angles. It’s not just simply a clinical show about pathology and solving crimes, it’s a show about relationships."

The pair also revealed that they have a real life friendship off-screen, which surely helps with their on-screen chemistry!

Is Emilia Fox quitting the show?

Emilia Fox, who looks 18 but is in fact 50, has previously revealed she has no plans to leave the BBC One series.

The daughter of actors Edward Fox and Joanna David said in 2023: "I never expected to still be playing Nicki Alexander [so many] years later, but I still love the show as much as when I first started on it."

She added: "So, it's really thanks to the loyal fans of Silent Witness and the enthusiasm for the show means that it is still [being] made. And I love it, and if audiences love it, and then hopefully it will carry on being made."

Silent Witness series 1 to 28 are currently available to watch on BBC iPlayer.