BBC series TV screens with new episodes after 10 year break (2025)

Ivan Cantu will feature in an episode (Image: BBC)

A decade after its last episode broadcast, the popular BBC series Life and Death Row is making a comeback with three fresh episodes on BBC Three and iPlayer starting Tuesday 21 January.

Fans were hooked when the BAFTA-winning series initially launched in March 2014, diving deep into the harrowing tales of death row inmates and exploring the profound effects of capital punishment across America.

This time, new 60-minute instalments will feature three inmates, including Ivan Cantu, who faced execution in 2024 following his conviction for a double homicide, reports the Mirror.

Life and Death Row will be available to stream from 21 January (Image: BBC)

The synopsis reads: "Examining the issue of capital punishment in a dramatically altered America, old certainties no longer hold in a divided nation grappling with an uncertain political landscape and a world dominated by the influences of celebrity culture, social media and polarisation."

It continues: "Through three new, observational films, the series goes inside the cases of death row prisoners facing the ultimate penalty in very modern settings from one attempting to prove his innocence with a podcast and celebrity backing from the likes of Kim Kardashian, to another facing the death penalty at trial, in a state where a unanimous jury vote is no longer required."

BBC Three and iPlayer's Life and Death Row is a product of BBC Studios' Documentary Unit. The series was commissioned by Clare Sillery, BBC Head of Commissioning Documentaries, and Fiona Campbell, Controller of BBC iPlayer and Youth Audiences,

Stuart Bernard directed the series, with Kirsty Cunningham serving as the Executive Producer and Emma Loach as the BBC Commissioning Editor.

Three inmates will feature in the episodes (Image: BBC)

The first series of Life and Death Row told the stories of Richard Cobb, Anthony Haynes, Guy Heinze, Jr. , Robert Lynn Pruett, and Robert Garza.

The 2016 second series spotlighted Daniel Lee Lopez, Shawn Ford Jr., Austin Myers, Timothy Moseley, and Willie Tyrone Trottie.

The third season deviated from the traditional format, being exclusively online. Under the title Love Triangle, it comprised eight brief episodes detailing the investigation and trial surrounding Heather Strong's murder.

Life and Death Row will be available to watch via BBC Three and iPlayer on 21 January at 9pm. Previous series are available to stream on iPlayer.