Adrian Dunbar's hit detective drama Ridley will return for a second season on Sunday, August 10, at 8 pm on ITV1, it has finally been revealed by the broadcaster.
The first series won rave reviews when it went out nearly three years ago.
Ridley season 2 will see the Line of Duty actor again star as Alex Ridley, the retired cop turned police consultant. He will resume his partnership with former protégée DI Carol Framan (played by Unforgotten's Bronagh Waugh), who is now in charge of investigations.
Joining the cast is Taggart legend John Michie, who’s just been seen in Karen Pirie season 2. He plays debonair jeweller Harry, whom Ridley vies with for Anne’s (Shetland’s Julie Graham) attention.
Teasing the plot, the makers say: "Ridley starts to investigate when a jewellery heist turns violent and the thieves take off with their stolen loot. After an interested party is killed in broad daylight, Ridley and Carol have a race against time to discover the identity of the criminal mastermind behind the whole operation. Will the team be able to bring them to justice before more blood is spilled?"
Also back are Terence Maynard (Time, Coronation Street) as DCI Paul Goodwin, George Bukhari (Years and Years, The A Word) as DC Darren Lakhan, and Georgie Glen (The Crown, Call the Midwife) as pathologist Dr Wendy Newstone.
Guest stars in episode one include John Henshaw (The Long Shadow) and Christine Bottomley (Domina).
Talking about the vibe of Ridley, considered one of the best ITV dramas of recent times, Adrian previously told us: "This show’s slightly darker than some of the other things that are out there, and a bit grittier. I think it being set in the north of England helps in that respect."
Ridley is written and created by award-winning writer Paul Matthew Thompson, one of the lead writers on Vera.
Ridley season 2 will begin on August 10, at 8 pm on ITV1.
