The Fall series 3: Jamie Dornan and Gillian Anderson will return for final season of drama

The last series ended on a cliffhanger after serial killer Paul Spector was shot

Gillian Anderson and Jamie Dornan in 'The Fall' (BBC)

The Fall will be returning for a third and final series starring Gillian Anderson and Jamie Dornan, the BBC has announced.

Series two ended on a controversial cliffhanger as serial killer Paul Spector, played by Dornan, was shot and left bleeding in the arms of Anderson’s Detective Superintendent Stella Gibson.

A teaser trailer released today showed the last moments of the finale as Gibson desperately shouted “we’re losing him” while Spector looked close to losing consciousness.

Writer and director Allan Cubitt told The Guardian: “The cliffhanger ending of season two was conceived in the hope of further exploring the characters and the themes that are at the heart of The Fall.”

The second series received less critical acclaim than the first, which premiered on BBC Two in 2013.

It followed a Metropolitan Police detective’s investigation into an unsolved murder in Belfast, while simultaneously recording the life of the killer himself as he selected more victims.

Its explicit depiction of Spector's murders and his sexualised posing of women's bodies sparked widespread criticism that the show glamourised sexual violence.

“It may be that the camera lingered too intimately on certain things," Cubitt admitted but rebuffed allegations that the series was misogynist.

Anderson also defended the drama, saying claims the murders were "glossy" were "so far removed from what was intended".

The Fall was Dornan's first major acting role, helping him secure his starring part in Fifty Shades of Grey that has catapulted him into global stardom. He was previously known primarily for his successful modelling career.

Jamie Dornan plays dominant Christian Grey in Fifty Shades of Grey (Chuck Zlotnick)

Anderson has also enjoyed success on the stage, garnering an Oliver award nomination for her acclaimed turn in A Streetcar Named Desire.

An air date of for series three has not been announced but it is expected to be on BBC Two next year.