The Capture is a British conspiracy thriller television series created and written by Ben Chanan and produced by Heyday Television as part of Universal International Studios for the BBC. The series premiered on BBC One on 3 September 2019, with a second series premiering on 28 August 2022, and a third series on 8 March 2026. The series is centred on Rachel Carey (Holliday Grainger), a fast-track Metropolitan Police detective drawn into a vast conspiracy involving real-time deepfake technology, mass surveillance, and manipulated video evidence. The narrative focuses on the dangers of a "post-truth" society, examining themes of political interference, state-sanctioned disinformation, and the ethical implications of covert intelligence operations. A central plot point is the practice of "Correction", a fictional programme used by intelligence agencies to edit live video feeds in real-time to create false "admissible" evidence and control public narratives. The Capture has received positive reviews from critics throughout its run, who have praised its tense narrative and its exploration of surveillance and digital manipulation, as well as the performances of Grainger and other lead actors.
Premise
Series 1 Former soldier Shaun Emery is released from prison after his conviction for a war crime in Afghanistan is overturned on appeal owing to flawed video evidence. However, his return to civilian life is short-lived when CCTV footage implicates him in the assault and kidnapping of his barrister, Hannah Roberts. While Emery attempts to clear his name, DI Rachel Carey investigates and soon begins to uncover a wider conspiracy, calling into question the validity of the surveillance footage.
Series 2 Six months later, DCI Rachel Carey is now entrenched in the UK's own "Correction" unit, having seemingly joined the intelligence operation she once sought to expose. When rising politician Isaac Turner MP becomes the target of a live deepfake hack, Carey finds herself in the middle of a new conspiracy involving the dangerous rise of real-time deepfake technology. Faced with a threat that has evolved far beyond CCTV tampering, she must navigate a landscape of political interference as well as media manipulation while challenging the boundary between digital fabrication and the truth.
Series 3 One year after exposing the "Correction" programme, Rachel Carey is now the Acting Commander of Counter Terrorism Command, overseeing the launch of Operation Veritas, a new surveillance system designed to detect digital manipulation in real-time. When a well-coordinated act of terror strikes central London, Carey becomes the sole eyewitness to a crime that her own technology cannot verify. As she investigates, she uncovers a conspiracy reaching the security and political establishment, forcing her to question herself and the costs of pursuing a truth that few are willing to believe.
Cast and characters
Main Overall
Holliday Grainger as Rachel Carey – A fast-track detective whose career is defined by a ruthless ambition and a rigid, often isolating moral compass. While highly capable and headstrong, she is frequently viewed as "spiky" and "plain-speaking," traits that often place her at odds with her superiors and leave her with few personal allies. Despite her tactical sharpness, her commitment to accountability leads her trust in her own integrity to be pushed to its breaking point. Lia Williams as DSU Gemma Garland – An inscrutable and glacial senior intelligence official within SO15. A pragmatic operative who prioritises national security over transparency, she frequently employs morally ambiguous methods to protect state interests. Ron Perlman as Frank Napier – A powerful and cynical CIA Section Chief who utilises ruthless, clandestine tactics to protect American interests. He oversees covert state operations with a pragmatic disregard for legal transparency. Ben Miles as Danny Hart – The Commander of SO15 who oversees counter-terrorism operations. While a staunch defender of national security, he is increasingly conflicted by the ethical cost and systemic deception involved in covert state programmes. Ginny Holder as DS (later DI) Nadia Latif – A principled and methodical detective who relies on empirical facts over intuition. Her process-driven approach often leads her to identify the technical anomalies that expose larger conspiracies. Cavan Clerkin as DS Patrick Flynn (series 1–2) – seasoned, street-smart detective and pragmatic ally to Carey. Despite initial scepticism of her career path, he provides a grounded perspective while assisting her in navigating complex investigations. Paapa Essiedu as Isaac Turner MP (series 2–3) – The Minister of State for Security and a rising political star. After his career and personal life are upended by a real-time deepfake hack, he becomes an ally to Carey in her attempt to expose 'Correction'. Indira Varma as Khadija Khan (series 2–3) – A fierce and high-profile BBC News presenter and investigative journalist. Ambitious and ruthlessly pragmatic, she prioritises her own career advancement and the pursuit of high-stakes information over personal loyalty, often operating on a strictly transactional basis. Series 1
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