Bloodlands renewed for season two by BBC

Jed Mercurio promises there is ‘another twisty case for Brannick’ on the way

The BBC’s latest primetime thriller, Bloodlands, has been renewed for a second series.

Bloodlands finished airing its first series last night (14 March), with a dramatic finale that tied off many of the show’s loose ends.

Focusing on Northern Irish police detective Tom Brannick (James Nesbitt) and the hunt for a dormant killer known as “Goliath”, the four-part series was created by Chris Brandon and executive produced by Line of Duty’s Jed Mercurio.

But while episode four provided answers to several of the lingering questions that had hung over the series, including Goliath’s identity and the fate of Brannick’s wife, Emma, viewers were unsure whether they had seen the last of DCI Brannick.

Read more: Bloodlands’ fourth episode was an underwhelming finale full of plot holes – review

Sure enough, the BBC have announced that Bloodlands will return, with Mercurio saying: “Everyone at [production company] HTM Television is thrilled our debut production has been recommissioned.

“It’s a tribute to the quality of Chris Brandon’s writing, the hard work of our crew and the brilliant performance of our cast led by James Nesbitt. We’re grateful for the outstanding support we’ve received from the BBC and Northern Ireland Screen and can’t wait to reward Bloodlands fans with another twisty case for Brannick and co.”

Tom Brannick (Nesbitt) and Heather Pentland (Susan Lynch) in episode four of Bloodlands (BBC / HTM Televison /Steffan Hill )

Nesbitt added: “I’m thrilled that viewers responded to Bloodlands so positively and that we will be returning for a second series. I’m always happy to be back in Northern Ireland and to reveal even more about Tom Brannick.”

The renewal follows an impressive ratings performance for the series. According to the BBC, Bloodlands launched with an average of 8.2 million viewers, making it the broadcaster’s biggest new drama launch since June 2019.