The BBC has renewed the critically-acclaimed crime drama ‘This City is Ours‘ for a 2nd Season, the UK broadcaster has announced.
Created and written by Stephen Butchard and made by Left Bank Pictures, ‘This City is Ours’ is filmed in Liverpool and tells the story of Michael (James Nelson-Joyce) and Diana’s (Hannah Onslow) love affair, set against the disintegration of Michael’s crime gang. For years, together with his friend Ronnie (Sean Bean), Michael has successfully been bringing cocaine into the City and beyond, using his close links with the Marbella underworld; but when a shipment goes missing, he knows their kingdom is under attack.
The drama explores what happens when Ronnie’s son Jamie (Jack McMullen) decides he wants to inherit the kingdom over Michael, and the subsequent battle for control. Season one also stars Laura Aikman, Julie Graham, Kevin Harvey, Saoirse-Monica Jackson, Mike Noble, Bobby Schofield, Darci Shaw, and Stephen Walters.
“We have all been blown away by the incredibly positive response to This City is Ours, I can’t thank the audience enough for their time and emotional investment,” said Stephen Butchard, This City is Ours creator, lead writer and executive producer. “My heartfelt thanks also to Lindsay Salt and her wonderful team at BBC Drama for their unflinching support and continued belief in the show, our story and our characters – and not least for this opportunity to do it all over again! See you soon!”
The eight-part first series, which launched in full on BBC iPlayer in March and has been praised by both critics and viewers alike. It even sparked a viral line-dancing frenzy to the Phelan family’s signature song, House of Bamboo! Episode one has been watched by over 6.6 million people so far, more than tripling its initial overnight figure of 1.9 million. Viewers continue to discover the series on BBC iPlayer, where it has been the BBC’s most-watched new drama launch of the year so far, and almost 3 million people have streamed the series finale ahead of its BBC One transmission tonight.
“We are so delighted to be diving back into Stephen Butchard’s brilliant underworld of Liverpool crime with our wonderful collaborators at the BBC,” adds Sian McWilliams, Creative Director at Left Bank Pictures and executive producer. “It’s been a joy to watch audiences fall in love with these fantastically complex characters. After the tumultuous events of the season one finale, the gang rivalries and betrayals have escalated to new levels, new ones have just begun, and there is a lot of unfinished business!”
‘This City is Ours’ season two will be produced by Left Bank Pictures for BBC iPlayer and BBC One. It was commissioned for the BBC by Lindsay Salt, Director of BBC Drama. It will be written by Stephen Butchard, and the executive producers are Andy Harries, Rebecca Hodgson and Sian McWilliams for Left Bank Pictures, Stephen Butchard, and Jo McClellan and Sami El Hadi for the BBC. Sony Pictures Television will distribute the series internationally.
“This City is Ours was one of our team’s first commissions when I joined the BBC, and I could not be happier with how Stephen, Saul and the Left Bank team have brought it to the screen so classily,” said Lindsay Salt, Director of BBC Drama. “The response from viewers has been a joy to see, with millions discovering its thrilling, character-driven drama for themselves to become gripped by the raging war of the Phelans. I’m delighted that we now get to build on this fantastic first run and show that things are only just getting started for this very special series.”
‘This City is Ours‘ Season 1 is available on BBC iPlayer in the UK right now. If you want to keep track of this or any other show, you can add them via our Never Miss system, and you’ll be notified when they get a UK premiere date.
