The highly anticipated finance drama, “Industry,” has returned for its fourth season, bringing back the characters we love to hate, as reported by the Mirror.

Set in the heart of the financial world, the City, this BBC and HBO series is set to intensify the tension with even more cutthroat betrayals. This season follows the Pierpoint graduates as they climb the corporate ranks and move beyond the firm.

Here’s a comprehensive guide to what you can expect from the fourth season of “Industry,” including its premiere date, cast details, storyline insights, and more.

The fourth season of “Industry” premiered today (January 12) on BBC iPlayer, where the first episode is now available for streaming.

This episode is available to stream ahead of its broadcast on BBC One, which is scheduled for tonight at 10:40 p.m.

Industry’s fourth season comprises eight episodes, consistent with its previous seasons.

Those planning to binge-watch the series on BBC iPlayer will be disappointed, as new episodes will be released weekly ahead of their TV broadcast.

The main cast members are set to return for the new series, including Black Mirror’s Myha’la reprising her role as Harper Stern, Marisa Abela as Yasmin Kara-Hanani, Ken Leung as Eric Tao, Miriam Petche as Sweetpea Golighty, Sagar Radia as Rishi Ramdani, Game of Thrones’ Kit Harington as Henry Muck, and Ted Lasso’s Toheeb Jimoh as Kwabena Bannerman.

The ensemble cast also includes Roger Barclay as Otto Mostyn, Kal Penn as Jay Jonah Atterbury, Jonjo O’Neill as Robin Wiiliamson, Nico Rogner as Ferdinand Schwarzwald, Anna Andresen as Louisa Stockl, Edward Holcroft as Sebastian Stefanowicz, Tom Stourton as James Ashford, Lewis Reeves as Roland Rednerg, and Jack Ambrose as Jamie Abington, among others.

This year introduces fresh faces to the cast, including Stranger Things actor Charlie Heaton in the role of James Dycker.

Joining the series this season is also Max Minghella, known for his work in The Handmaid’s Tale, who will be playing Whitney Halberstram.

Minghella gave a sneak peek into his character, stating: “Whitney enters the world of Industry brimming with ruthless ambition, a silver tongue and a mercurial past.”

He further added: “Tender is central to the narrative of season four. Essentially, Whitney is keen to evolve the business from a standard payment app into an all in one ‘bank in your pocket’.”

Another addition to the cast is Kiernan Shipka, known for her roles in Mad Men and Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, who will be portraying Hayley Clay.

Shipka hinted at her character’s persona: “Hayley is a really fun new addition to the world of Industry. She’s tenacious, feisty, mysterious, and down to play ball.”

Poldark actor Jack Farthing joins the cast as Edward Smith, an old friend of Henry Muck’s who unexpectedly shows up on his birthday.

Former Coronation Street actress Amy James-Kelly will also be joining the cast as Jennifer Bevan.

She explained: “We meet MP Jennifer Bevan as her and Henry go head-to-head in a local election. Yasmin and Jenni become useful to one another, so this storyline is a dance between these two women as they try to get the best possible outcome for themselves in a world and industry that is not designed for them to have any place at the table. Jenni is young, keen and has that naive determination to drive change that we’ll see be constantly tested throughout.”

The programme will once again plunge viewers into the high-octane realm of finance, ushering in a fresh era for Industry following series three’s conclusion at firm Pierpoint. The characters are now venturing towards new horizons.

Harper and Yasmin find themselves drawn into a dangerous game of pursuit spanning continents when a cutting-edge fintech player arrives on London’s financial scene.

Discussing what awaits audiences, Industry creators Mickey Down and Konrad Kay revealed: “We had a very strong central idea for season four just as we were wrapping season three.

“It was bittersweet to close the chapter on Pierpoint. It was a fantastic and experiential precinct and gave the show it’s velocity and immersive feel, but we felt we could take that energy out into the world and broaden the canvas to deepen what the show was saying about capitalism and the feedback loop of finance, politics and media, while also introducing us to a broader array of characters.

“We wanted the show to centre on a global story with more stakeholders.”

The pair continued to hint at what’s in store for the new series: “Broader scope. Higher stakes. Deeper, more intricate storytelling. More entertainment. Darker. Funnier. The core themes of this season are who owns the truth, the intersection of identity, storytelling and entrepreneurship, and the interdependence of fascism and capitalism.”

The programme will be accessible on BBC iPlayer, which is entirely free to use. However, a valid TV licence is required to view content on iPlayer.

As previously noted, episodes will be released weekly and available for streaming.

Viewers can access the show across various devices, including smart TVs, tablets and mobile phones.

Industry season 4 is streaming on the BBC iPlayer now and will air on BBC One tonight at 10.40pm