Editing Silent Witness (section)

==Characters==

===Overview===
{| class="wikitable" style="width:100%;"
|-
! rowspan="2"|Actor
! rowspan="2"|Character
! colspan="28" |Series
|-
! style="width:3%"|[[List of Silent Witness episodes#Series 1 .281996.29|1]]
! style="width:3%"|[[List of Silent Witness episodes#Series 2 .281997.29|2]]
! style="width:3%"|[[List of Silent Witness episodes#Series 3 .281998.29|3]]
! style="width:3%"|[[List of Silent Witness episodes#Series 4 .281999.29|4]]
! style="width:3%"|[[List of Silent Witness episodes#Series 5 .282000.E2.80.9301.29|5]]
! style="width:3%"|[[List of Silent Witness episodes#Series 6 .282002.29|6]]
! style="width:3%"|[[List of Silent Witness episodes#Series 7 .282003.29|7]]
! style="width:3%"|[[List of Silent Witness episodes#Series 8 .282004.29|8]]
! style="width:3%"|[[List of Silent Witness episodes#Series 9 .282005.29|9]]
! style="width:3%"|[[List of Silent Witness episodes#Series 10 .282006.29|10]]
! style="width:3%"|[[List of Silent Witness episodes#Series 11 .282007.29|11]]
! style="width:3%"|[[List of Silent Witness episodes#Series 12 .282008.29|12]]
! style="width:3%"|[[List of Silent Witness episodes#Series 13 .282010.29|13]]
! style="width:3%"|[[List of Silent Witness episodes#Series 14 .282011.29|14]]
! style="width:3%"|[[List of Silent Witness episodes#Series 15 .282012.29|15]]
! style="width:3%"|[[List of Silent Witness episodes#Series 16 .282013.29|16]]
! style="width:3%"|[[List of Silent Witness episodes#Series 17 .282014.29|17]]
! style="width:3%"|[[List of Silent Witness episodes#Series 18 .282015.29|18]]
! style="width:3%"|[[List of Silent Witness episodes#Series 19 .282016.29|19]]
! style="width:3%"|[[List of Silent Witness episodes#Series 20 .282017.29|20]]
! style="width:3%"|[[List of Silent Witness episodes#Series 21 .282018.29|21]]
! style="width:3%"|[[List of Silent Witness episodes#Series 22 .282019.29|22]]
! style="width:3%"|[[List of Silent Witness episodes#Series 23 .282020.29|23]]
! style="width:3%"|[[List of Silent Witness episodes#Series 24 .282021.29|24]]
! style="width:3%"|[[List of Silent Witness episodes#Series 25 .282021.29|25]]
! style="width:3%"|[[List of Silent Witness episodes#Series 26 .282023.29|26]]
! style="width:3%"|[[List of Silent Witness episodes#Series 27 .282023.29|27]]
! style="width:3%"|[[List of Silent Witness episodes#Series 28 .282023.29|28]]

|-
| style="text-align:center;"| [[Amanda Burton]]
| style="text-align:center;"| Sam Ryan
| colspan="8" {{CMain}}
| colspan="16 " {{CNone}}
| colspan="1" {{CMain}}
| colspan="3" {{CNone}}
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| [[John McGlynn (actor)|John McGlynn]]
| style="text-align:center;"| Tom Adams
| colspan="1" {{CMain}}
| colspan="28" {{CNone}}
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| [[Clare Higgins]]
| style="text-align:center;"| Helen Farmer
| colspan="1" {{CMain}}
| colspan="28" {{CNone}}
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| William Armstrong
| style="text-align:center;"| Trevor Stewart
| colspan="1" {{CRecurring}}
| colspan="2" {{CMain}}
| colspan="28" {{CNone}}
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| [[Ruth McCabe]]
| style="text-align:center;"| Wyn Ryan
| colspan="1" {{CRecurring}}
| colspan="1" {{CMain}}
| colspan="1" {{CGuest}}
| colspan="25" {{CNone}}
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| [[Mick Ford]]
| style="text-align:center;"| Peter Ross
| colspan="1" {{CNone}}
| colspan="1" {{CMain}}
| colspan="28" {{CNone}}
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| [[Nick Reding (actor)|Nick Reding]]
| style="text-align:center;"| Michael Connor
| colspan="2" {{CNone}}
| colspan="2" {{CMain}}
| colspan="25" {{CNone}}
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| [[Mark Letheren]]
| style="text-align:center;"| Rob Bradley
| colspan="2" {{CNone}}
| colspan="1" {{CMain}}
| colspan="25" {{CNone}}
|-
| style="text-align:center" | [[William Gaminara]]
| style="text-align:center" | Leo Dalton
| colspan="5" {{CNone}}
| colspan="11" {{CMain}}
| colspan="3" {{CNone}}
| colspan="1" {{CGuest}}
| colspan="8" {{CNone}}
|-
| style="text-align:center" | [[Tom Ward]]
| style="text-align:center" | Harry Cunningham
| colspan="5" {{CNone}}
| colspan="10" {{CMain}}
| colspan="13" {{CNone}}
|-
| style="text-align:center" | [[Emilia Fox]]
| style="text-align:center" | Nikki Alexander
| colspan="7" {{CNone}}
| colspan="28" {{CMain}}
|-
| style="text-align:center" | [[David Caves]]
| style="text-align:center" | Jack Hodgson
| colspan="15" {{CNone}}
| colspan="28" {{CMain}}
|-
| style="text-align:center" | [[Liz Carr]]
| style="text-align:center" | Clarissa Mullery
| colspan="15" {{CNone}}
| colspan="1" {{CRecurring}}
| colspan="7" {{CMain}}
| colspan="5" {{CNone}}
|-
| style="text-align:center" | [[Richard Lintern]]
| style="text-align:center" | Thomas Chamberlain
| colspan="16" {{CNone}}
| colspan="7" {{CMain}}
| colspan="5" {{CNone}}
|-
| style="text-align:center" | [[Jason Wong]]
| style="text-align:center" | Adam Yuen
| colspan="23" {{CNone}}
| colspan="1" {{CMain}}
| colspan="4" {{CNone}}
|-
| style="text-align:center" | [[Genesis Lynea]]
| style="text-align:center" | Simone Tyler
| colspan="23" {{CNone}}
| colspan="2" {{CMain}}
| colspan="3" {{CNone}}
|-
| style="text-align:center" | Alastair Michael
| style="text-align:center" | Velvy Schur
| colspan="25" {{CNone}}
| colspan="2" {{CMain}}
| colspan="1" {{CNone}}
|-
| style="text-align:center" | Aki Omoshaybi
| style="text-align:center" | Gabriel Folukoya
| colspan="25" {{CNone}}
| colspan="2" {{CMain}}
| colspan="1" {{CNone}}
|-
| style="text-align:center" | Rhiannon May
| style="text-align:center" | Cara Connelly
| colspan="23" {{CNone}}
| colspan="2" {{CGuest}}
| colspan="2" {{CMain}}
| colspan="1" {{CNone}}
|-
| style="text-align:center" | [[Maggie Steed]]
| style="text-align:center" | Harriet Mavern
| colspan="27" {{CNone}}
| colspan="1" {{CMain}}
|-
| style="text-align:center" | [[Francesca Mills]]
| style="text-align:center" | Kit Brookes
| colspan="27" {{CNone}}
| colspan="1" {{CMain}}

|}

===Main===
*Sam Ryan ([[Amanda Burton]])&nbsp;– series 1–8, 25. Sam originally lived and worked in [[Cambridge]], but moved to London at the end of series three after she was offered the job of professor at a university. Sam departed and returned home to [[Northern Ireland]] in the second episode of series eight, "[[List of Silent Witness episodes#ep52|A Time To Heal]]", in which a member of her family became a suspect in a murder case. At the end of Series 24, in a brief mid-credits scene, she is shown phoning Nikki Alexander to ask for help. This leads into her reappearing in [[List_of_Silent_Witness_episodes#Series_25_(2022)|Series 25]].
*Leo Dalton ([[William Gaminara]])&nbsp;– series 6–16. Leo first appeared in the episode "[[List of Silent Witness episodes#ep36|The Fall Out]]", where he was a doctor. However, he was promoted to professor after former professor Sam Ryan left. In the episode "[[List of Silent Witness episodes#ep60|Ghosts]]", both his wife, Theresa, and his daughter, Cassie, are killed in a car accident. He began a relationship with fellow professor Janet Mander in "[[List of Silent Witness episodes#ep90|Death's Door]]", but ended their relationship in the episode "[[List of Silent Witness episodes#ep126|Redhill]]". Leo often took a strong opinion on cases and became emotionally involved. He died in the series 16 finale "[[List of Silent Witness episodes#ep141|Greater Love]]", when he sacrificed himself to save many others from a terrorist bomb explosion. He briefly appeared in a flashback in the last episode of series 20.
*Harry Cunningham ([[Tom Ward]])&nbsp;– series 6–15. Harry started out life as a junior doctor, who worked as an apprentice to Sam and Leo. However, he soon qualified as a pathologist, and has worked on equal footing with the team for a number of years. Harry was single, and lived alone, but has had several romantic relationships, including an ongoing 'will they-won't they' relationship with his colleague Nikki. Harry left the team to accept a professorship in New York at the end of series 15. As this was decided after filming was completed, and the stories were reordered, with "[[List of Silent Witness episodes#ep130|And Then I Fell in Love]]" airing last, where it was originally scheduled as the second episode, his departure was never on screen.
*Nikki Alexander ([[Emilia Fox]])&nbsp;– since series 8. Originally appearing in the episode "[[List of Silent Witness episodes#ep56|Nowhere Fast]]", Nikki was originally assigned to the Lyell Centre to defuse the tension between Harry and Leo after Sam's departure. However, Nikki soon became a permanent fixture within the team, and although she features more prominently in the series, holds a lower rank in pathology than Leo. Despite her native home being South Africa, Nikki regards the United Kingdom as her second home, as the reason for her departure from the country lies solely in the hands of her father, Victor, as explained in the episode "[[List of Silent Witness episodes#ep84|Double Dare]]". Nikki often flirted with colleague Harry, and even invited him to stay at her house after his flat blew up in an explosion. Nikki and Harry were in an ongoing 'will they-won't they' relationship until he left in series 15. As well as this, she developed a close relationship with Leo and looked up to him as a father figure. As Leo and Harry gradually left, Nikki has since become the series' central character. She starts a relationship with Jack in series 25. They marry in series 28.
*Jack Hodgson ([[David Caves]])&nbsp;– since series 16. Before his arrival at the Lyell Centre, Jack was a forensic scientist for the police, working on regular murder investigations. However, when he is called out to the scene of a man's suspicious death in "[[List of Silent Witness episodes#ep132|Change]]", both Nikki and Leo spot his potential, and looking for a senior colleague to replace Harry, decide to offer Jack a job as the centre's forensic expert. Jack is close friends with colleague Clarissa Mullery, whom he invites to work with him at the Lyell Centre, much to Leo's surprise. In his spare time, Jack is a cage fighter, and splits his home life between forensic research and training for his next fight. From series 27 he has a relationship with Nikki. They marry in series 28.
*Clarissa Mullery ([[Liz Carr]])&nbsp;– series 16–23.<ref name="Silent Witness star Liz Carr set for Hollywood film role">{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/disability-51374861|access-date=5 February 2020|title=Silent Witness star Liz Carr set for Hollywood film role|work=BBC News|date=5 February 2020|archive-date=5 February 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200205222221/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/disability-51374861|url-status=live}}</ref> Clarissa is Jack's personal lab assistant, who first appears in the episode "[[List of Silent Witness episodes#ep132|Change]]", when Jack invites her to work at the Lyell Centre with him, much to Leo's surprise. She is disabled by an unspecified condition and uses an electric wheelchair. She has a very cheeky side, making a quip at Leo after he fails to recognise her when she first arrives. Clarissa had clearly worked for Jack for a long period of time before his appointment at the Lyell Centre, but the exact period of time is unknown.
*Thomas Chamberlain ([[Richard Lintern]])&nbsp;– series 17–23. Thomas Chamberlain took over as head of the Lyell Centre from Leo who died at the end of series 16. He was an experienced forensic pathologist with a renowned reputation in toxicology and is described as charming, charismatic and socially shrewd. His first encounters with Jack, Nikki and Clarissa did not go well, but they gradually warmed to him. It is revealed in the last episode of his first series that his wife left him just before he started working at the Lyell Centre, taking their daughter with her. He died in the series 23 finale "[[List of Silent Witness episodes#ep211|The Greater Good]]" whilst investigating a nerve agent in the pathology suite of the Lyell Centre.
*Simone Tyler ([[Genesis Lynea]])&nbsp;– series 24–25. Simone is a meticulous forensic ecologist, who makes the jump from the museum to the mortuary at the Lyell Centre. Simone leaves at the end of season 25 to look after her nieces in Trinidad after learning about her estranged sister's death.

===Recurring===
*Detective Chief Inspector Tom Adams ([[John McGlynn (actor)|John McGlynn]])&nbsp;– series 1. An investigator with the Cambridgeshire police force, who had an affair with Kerry Cox, before her death. 
*Superintendent Helen Farmer ([[Clare Higgins]])&nbsp;– series 1. A superintendent, and Tom Adams' boss and mentor, who accompanied him on investigating several cases during his time in the force.
*Ricky Ryan ([[Matthew Steer]])&nbsp;– series 1. Wyn's son and Sam's nephew, who regularly got into trouble and was expelled from school for very poor behaviour.
*Trevor Stewart (William Armstrong)&nbsp;– series 1–3. As well as being a pathologist in his own right, Trevor was Sam's business partner, owning half of the morgue and its facilities. Trevor decided to stay in [[Cambridge]] with his friends and family when Sam accepted the professorship position at a university in London and moved away at the end of series three.
*Wyn Ryan ([[Ruth McCabe]])&nbsp;– series 1–3. Professor Ryan's sister who moved to Cambridge with her mother some years before Sam's arrival, and one of the reasons Sam Ryan relocated. Initially their relationship was strained, but eventually the two moved in with one another and grew close. In the first episode of series 3, it is announced Wyn returned to Ireland. Wyn makes one appearance in season three to visit Sam and announce her upcoming wedding.
*Superintendent Peter Ross ([[Mick Ford]])&nbsp;– series 2. A superintendent, and an ex-boyfriend of Sam's, who believed in a strong relationship between the police and the pathology lab.
*Detective Chief Inspector Michael Connor ([[Nick Reding (actor)|Nick Reding]])&nbsp;– Series 3–4. A detective chief inspector, and old friend of Sam's, whom she met during her junior years at university. He makes one appearance for the third story of the fourth season. 
*Detective Sergeant Rob Bradley ([[Mark Letheren]])&nbsp;– series 3. A detective sergeant, who as Connor's junior officer, accompanied him with the investigating in the cases which he was assigned to.
*Fred Dale (Sam Parks)&nbsp;– series 1–3. Fred was Sam's main assistant during post mortems and on visits to crime scenes, often identifying DNA samples at the scene of the crime, and linking them to those responsible. He was also notable for not having many speaking lines, and regularly appearing without speaking. His fate at the end of series 3 was not revealed.
*Detective Constable Kerry Cox ([[Ruth Gemmell]])&nbsp;– series 1. A junior trainee detective who had an affair with Tom Adams, but was later killed in a freak accident in a hospital basement.
*Detective Constable Marcia Evans (Janice Acquah)&nbsp;– series 1. A fellow junior trainee detective for the Cambridgeshire police force, who resigned after Kerry Cox's death.
*Detective Chief Inspector Rachel Selway (Nicola Redmond)&nbsp;– Series 2. Tom Adams' replacement, following his resignation from the force. She joined the team alongside junior sergeant Tony Speed.
*Detective Sergeant Tony Speed (Richard Huw)&nbsp;– series 2. A junior sergeant, who joined the team alongside his superior officer, Rachel Selway. He knew Peter Ross from a previous posting.
*Janet Mander ([[Jaye Griffiths]])&nbsp;– series 12–15. Janet is a psychological profiler who assists the police in cases of serial offences. She began a relationship with Leo in the episode "[[List of Silent Witness episodes#ep90|Death's Door]]", and they lived together as partners until Leo ended the relationship in "[[List of Silent Witness episodes#ep126|Redhill]]". She recurringly worked alongside the team to provide them with information in order to get an idea of the suspect they are looking for. Janet decided to move away from London after Leo ended their relationship.
*Charlie Gibbs ([[Wunmi Mosaku]])&nbsp;– series 13. A junior doctor and lab technician, who was appointed to work with the team by Professor Dalton.
*Zak Khan (Arsher Ali)&nbsp;– series 14. A junior doctor who worked his forensic science apprenticeship with the team, to learn the ropes of the profession.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://twitter.com/arsherali/status/111159935869534208|title=Arsher Ali|access-date=9 September 2011}}</ref>
*Rosemary Mason ([[Jane Hazlegrove]])&nbsp;– series 6–7. The main receptionist at the Lyell Centre, before the change in focus from university department to purely commercial pathology.
*Max Thorndyke ([[Daniel Weyman]]) – series 20–22. Max is Clarissa's husband, a forensic data analyst originally called in by the Lyell team to help solve a case in series 20 but returning in 2 further episodes in series 21.
*Matt Garcia ([[Michael Landes]]) - series 21–23. Matt is the U.S. [[Head of mission|Chief of Mission]] in the U.K. He begins a relationship with Nikki during the series 21 episode "[[List of Silent Witness episodes#ep186|A Special Relationship]]" which they maintain despite the difficulties of a long-distance relationship and Matt's political aspirations. The two part ways in the series 23 episode "[[List of Silent Witness episodes#ep202|Deadhead]]".
*Adam Yuen ([[Jason Wong]])&nbsp;– series 24. Adam is a confident, bright and keen pathologist who joins Nikki and Jack at the Lyell Centre. He dies midway through series 24, after being hit by a car, whilst investigating a suspect.

===Guest appearances===
''Silent Witness'' features a number of notable future established actors in guest appearances, including [[Emily Mortimer]], [[Idris Elba]], [[Nicholas Hoult]], [[Benedict Cumberbatch]], [[Susie Porter]], [[Jodie Comer]], [[Nikki Amuka-Bird]], [[Daisy Ridley]], [[Daniel Kaluuya]], [[Jim Carter (actor)|Jim Carter]], [[Martin Compston]], [[Eddie Marsan]], [[Tamsin Egerton]], [[Jason Watkins]], [[Evanna Lynch]], [[John Hannah (actor)|John Hannah]], and [[Sean Pertwee]].<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.ok.co.uk/tv/gallery/idris-elba-jodie-comer-stars-27019607 | title=From Idris Elba to Jodie Comer, the stars you forgot were in Silent Witness | date=23 May 2022 | access-date=1 April 2023 | archive-date=1 April 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230401120056/https://www.ok.co.uk/tv/gallery/idris-elba-jodie-comer-stars-27019607 | url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.entertainmentdaily.co.uk/tv/silent-witness-bbc-one-all-the-best-guest-stars-from-season-one-to-25/ | title=Silent Witness: All the HUGE names you never knew started out in BBC One drama | date=23 May 2022 | access-date=1 April 2023 | archive-date=1 April 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230401120048/https://www.entertainmentdaily.co.uk/tv/silent-witness-bbc-one-all-the-best-guest-stars-from-season-one-to-25/ | url-status=live }}</ref>