BBC confirms fan favourite show will return for second series

Richard Rankin’s portrayal of the hard-bitten Edinburgh detective first aired in spring last year

The BBC has announced the TV adaptation of Sir Ian Rankin’s best-selling Rebus novels will be renewed for another series.

Richard Rankin’s portrayal of the hard-bitten Edinburgh detective first aired in spring last year in a six-part series.

Its debut episode garnered 6.3 million viewers across all platforms and recently secured three RTS Scotland awards.

In series two, Detective Sergeant John Rebus will uncover the links between the violent world of the Edinburgh drug trade and the “professional bourgeois world of law and finance, where police sometimes fear to tread”.

The six-part series is being produced by Eleventh Hour Films and is written for the screen by Gregory Burke.

Richard Rankin returns as Rebus (Mark Mainz/BBC)

Sir Ian, who is the show’s executive producer, said: “Season one of Rebus ended on a cliffhanger.

“Only screenwriter Gregory Burke knows what happens next so I’m hugely excited that season two will soon be with us.

“Rebus is back – mean, moody and as magnificent as ever!”

Mr Burke said: “I’m delighted to be given the chance by the BBC and Eleventh Hour Films to bring Rebus back to the nation’s TV screens once more.

“Ian Rankin’s character and body of work are the perfect materials with which to explore contemporary Scottish society and the turbulent world that surrounds it.”

Sir Ian Rankin is the show’s executive producer (PA)

Louise Thornton, head of commissioning at BBC Scotland, says: “We were blown away with the audience response to the new-look Rebus first time round, so bringing it back for a second series was always a priority.

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“The combination of brilliant storytelling, powerful performances and top-class production values will make this new series must-see television.

“This commission is part of our recently-announced strategy to bring more high-impact scripted content from Scotland and we’re confident audiences will enjoy this next series as much as they did the first.”

In June, Rankin revealed that he is working on a new book, which will be published in October next year.

“It’s set in London and there’s no Rebus. It’s still crime. It’s set in London just for a change,” he said.

“I think I’m just putting him to bed for a wee while so he can rest and relax, and hopefully he’ll come back in the future, rejuvenated,.

“We left him in prison in the last book. So what happens after that? I have no idea. Maybe he knows, but I don’t know.”