Finally! After what seems like an age, we’ve got a Silent Witness season 29 release date to look forward to and I couldn’t be more excited for what lies in store when the show returns. I’ve been watching this long-running BBC drama for years now and the season 28 finale concluded on 3rd February last year.
The cliffhanger ending left the future of the Lyell Centre team up in the air and now Silent Witness season 29 is set to reveal all as the series undergoes a major change. Don’t worry - newlywedded pathologist Dr Nikki Alexander and forensic specialist Jack Hodgson will be back in action!
But there’s so much more to come and here’s when Silent Witness season 29 will be released and how to watch so you don’t miss a single storyline.
When does Silent Witness season 29 start?
To my surprise and delight, Silent Witness season 29 will start on Monday 2nd February on BBC One, with episodes also released on BBC iPlayer. As we’ve come to expect, going forwards from then your Mondays and Tuesdays will both officially be “Silent Witness days” as part 1 and part 2 of each storyline will air on consecutive days.
This release date was somewhat unexpected given that aside from seasons 24 and 25, Silent Witness has premiered in January since 2013. I’ve been scouring the TV guides for weeks waiting for the new series to be mentioned and from what's been said about it so far, it looks like it’ll be worth the wait.
Thankfully, Silent Witness season 29 has still got the regular 10 episodes which will correspond to 5 cases for Nikki, Jack, Harriet and Kit to investigate. Until 2nd February you can also remind yourself of what happened in the season 28 finale and perhaps even showcase your knowledge by acing our Silent Witness quiz.
How to watch Silent Witness season 29 in the UK
It couldn’t be easier for you to watch Silent Witness season 29 if you’re based in the UK as it will be broadcast on BBC One and BBC iPlayer. If you end up missing an episode or aren’t around to watch it as it airs, you can catch up afterwards on iPlayer.
I’ve also found in the past that both parts of each Silent Witness episode go on the BBC’s streaming platform on Mondays too. So if, like me, you don’t want to wait 24 hours to see the second part live, you don’t have to, and you can enjoy part 1 and part 2 back-to-back on iPlayer.
In the meantime, you work your way through previous seasons of Silent Witness on there, including the season 28 finale I Believe In Love.
How to watch Silent Witness season 29 from anywhere
Silent Witness has been going since 1996 and it’s beloved by fans all over the world, though the start of a new year can be a busy time and it’s possible you’re going to be away from home when season 29 starts. If this is true for you and you don’t want to miss any of the action, a VPN is going to become your new best friend.
Standing for Virtual Private Network, a VPN allows you to change your IP address to that of an area the show you want to watch is airing in, meaning you can tune in to watch your favourite shows from anywhere.
After testing all of the major VPN services, woman&home’s sister site, TechRadar, rated NordVPN as the best. They say, "It’s compatible with all of your devices, supports most streaming services, and ranks among the fastest. You can even install it on devices like an Amazon Fire TV Stick, Apple TV, Xbox, and PlayStation. So for a one-stop-shop, you can’t go wrong with Express."
If you've never installed a VPN before, don't worry, it's quick and easy. Just follow these three steps:
- Download and install the VPN following NordVPN's easy-to-follow instructions.
- Once you've installed your VPN, open the app and select your server location as anywhere in the UK.
- With your VPN installed and server location set to UK, you can now watch Silent Witness season 29 online.
If you’re in the US, you might also be able to enjoy Silent Witness season 29 on BritBox or BBC America, as other seasons of the show have been released via both of these in the past. It's often not at the same time as the series is broadcast in the UK, though, and it's not confirmed if this will happen with the new season.
US-based fans can currently purchase seasons or individual episodes of Silent Witness seasons 1-28 via Amazon Prime Video.
What will season 29 of Silent Witness be about?
After being set in London since 1999, Silent Witness season 29 is heading north! This was put forward as a distinct possibility in the season 28 finale, where Nikki went to a meeting at the Home Office where she was sounded out about setting up a new forensic centre in Birmingham.
They were also interested in Jack and he seemed keen, even though the couple would have to move if they switched to being based at The Bowman Laboratory at Birmingham General Hospital. The catch was that Nikki’s job would come at the expense of new Lyell Centre boss Harriet Maven’s position and the loyal pathologist wasn’t having any of it.
She ended up saying that she’d only take the job if Harriet was kept in charge and in the final moments of the episode (after Nikki and Jack tied the knot), both Harriet and forensic analyst Kit Brooks received an email. The team are definitely going to Birmingham and Emilia Fox, who plays Nikki, said last year that Silent Witness season 29 has a “whole new look” and “visually [Birmingham] feels completely different”.
The BBC has explained that the team will be facing some of their toughest cases yet and the cast will be joined by some brilliant guest stars. Expect to see Lydia Wilson (Nine Bodies in a Mexican Morgue), Chris Reilly (Slow Horses), Ben Batt (Riot Women), Vinette Robinson (Boiling Point), Selin Hizli (Am I Being Unreasonable?), Gerard Kearns (Waiting For The Out) Adam Rayner (Superman and Lois), Phaldut Sharma (EastEnders), Dino Fetscher (Fool Me Once), Cat Simmons (The Bill), Chris Coghill (Slow Horses) and Mollie Winnard (All Creatures Great and Small) in the new series.
Silent Witness also regularly explores current issues and events with its storylines, so it's likely this will continue with season 29 with some thought-provoking cases.
