Catastrophe and Apple Tree Yard star Mark Bonnar has joined the cast of AMC and Channel 4’s Humans as production begins on Season 3 of the critically praised sci-fi drama series.

Written by Sam Vincent and Jonathan Brackley, Kudos-produced Humans is set in a parallel present and focuses on what happens when the lines between humans and machines are blurred. It’s based on the award-winning Swedish sci-fi drama Real Humans created by Lars Lundstrom and produced by SVT and Matador Film.

Bonnar plays Neil Sommer, an intriguingly charming scientist on a government commission with whom Laura (Katherine Parkinson) develops a strong personal connection. In addition to Parkinson, he joins series regulars Gemma Chan, Tom Goodman-Hill, Emily Berrington, Colin Morgan, Ivanno Jeremiah and Ruth Bradley.

In Season 3, as the synth family, Mia (Chan), Niska (Berrington) and Max (Jeremiah) continue to battle for their right to survival, Joe (Goodman-Hill), Laura (Parkinson) and their children Mattie, Toby and Sophie struggle to come to terms with the cataclysmic events of the last season and their deeply polarised views on the implications of the singularity.

The eight-episode third season is slated to premiere next year.