‘Deep State‘ returns for Season 2 in May to Fox UK with a new story, and new lead character, as Walton Goggins finds himself in the middle of the espionage drama.
The 2nd season will delve deeper into the murky and political world of the deep state. Having failed in the Middle East, those powers are now turning their attention to sub-Saharan Africa and the scramble to plunder its natural resources. This is the first dirty war over clean energy. The series will also explore the origin stories of some of our favourite characters from Season 1 alongside witnessing the fall of a hero and orchestrating the making of a terrorist in the eyes of the West.
As Season 2 opens, we find Harry Clarke (Joe Dempsie – ‘Game of Thrones’, ‘Skins’) and Leyla Toumi (Karima McAdams – ‘Fearless’, ‘Vikings’) still reeling from the fall out of Season 1’s debacle in Tehran. Harry has taken himself out of active duty completely and it is only at the insistence of Leyla, that he is dragged back into the deeply secretive and deadly dangerous world of the deep state.
The deep state hastily deploys Nathan Miller (Goggins), an ex-CIA operative, to ensure, at any cost, the deal is completed, but his actions are thwarted when the Malian translator, Aïcha Konaté (Lily Banda – ‘The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind’) contacts Leyla and informs her of the actual events surrounding her supposed death. Complicating matters for Miller are Meaghan Sullivan (Victoria Hamilton – ‘The Crown’, ‘Doctor Foster’), a Republican Senator from Ohio, with an insatiable appetite for the uncovering the truth about the deep state and Aminata Sissoko (Zainab Jah – ‘Elementary’, ‘Homeland’), a senior advisor to the Malian President who is the deep state’s main obstacle in gaining a foothold in her country. A past story line reconnects with last season’s George White (Alistair Petrie – ‘Sex Education’, ‘The Night Manager’), a senior MI6 agent and Amanda Jones (Anastasia Griffith – ‘Damages’, ‘Once Upon a Time‘), a CIA operative and the introduction of Issouf Al Moctar (Alexander Siddig – ‘Star Trek: DS9’, ‘Gotham’), a Tuareg leader of an armed independence group. From here on in, viewers are taken on another extraordinary, helter-skelter journey in which Harry and Leyla must do everything in their power to stop the insidious advancement of the malignant network that is known as the deep state.
Showrunner, Writer and Director Matthew Parkhill helms new action-driven political drama. Co-created by Matthew Parkhill and Simon Maxwell, with Joss Agnew also directing. Executive Produced by Emmy Award Winner Hilary Bevan Jones.
“Season One was a brilliant introduction to Deep State, and we could not have been more thrilled with the response,” comments Sara Johnson, VP, Scripted, FNG Europe & Africa and Executive Producer. “We are excited to return to this contemporary drama brand, which blends action and political intrigue with a strong moral core, to tell a complex story in a compelling way”.
Matthew Parkhill (‘Rogue’) is executive producer, co-creator, writer, director and showrunner with Emmy-award winning powerhouse producer Hilary Bevan Jones (‘State of Play’, ‘The Escape Artist’) as executive producer. Director Joss Agnew (‘Poldark’, ‘Mr Selfridge’) and BAFTA Award winning producer Paul Frift (‘Victoria’, ‘Room at the Top’), both joined the team for the second season. Simon Maxwell (‘American Odyssey’), is co-creator writer and executive producer. Rounding out the executive producing team are Walton Goggins, Alan Greenspan, and Helen Flint with Sara Johnson for Fox Networks Group, Europe & Africa.
“It’s great to build on the ambitions and success of Deep State. Ranging from action packed desert sequences to emotionally charged stories we get to build on season one and grow an even bigger audience with season two,” adds Hilary Bevan Jones, Executive Producer with Endor Productions, a Red Arrow Studios Company. “I have massive admiration for Matthew Parkhill and his team of writers, Producer Paul Frift and FNG Europe & Africa and the quality of their content.”
Season 1 was the first regional scripted commission for the Fox Networks Group, which doubled the prime-time average audience on FOX across Europe and Africa. It was also the most viewed show on premium network EPIX, its home in the US.
‘Deep State‘ Season 2 premieres in May on Fox UK (exact date/time TBC).
