The stylish detective drama ‘Bookish‘, created, written by and starring Mark Gatiss, is returning for a second season on U&Alibi with a stacked line-up of guest stars and fresh mysteries in post-war London.
Set in 1946, viewers follow Gabriel Book, a former man of secrets whose quiet life running a bookshop in Archangel Lane is anything but peaceful. With Trottie Book, Jack Blunt, Inspector Bliss and Sergeant Morris, ‘Bookish’ blends nostalgic charm with twisty cases and a flair for high-camp crime-solving.
The first season saw an incredible launch, averaging 1.5 million viewers across the season, and exceeding benchmarks to land as the channel’s second-highest performing premiere ever.
Guest stars and returning cast
Joining Season 2 are Jason Watkins (The Game, McDonald & Dodds) as Harold Sneed and Miranda Richardson (The Last Anniversary) as Duchess Alberta, alongside Simon Callow (Étoile, The Boy That Never Was) as ‘E’, Rupert Graves (Surface, Washington Black) as Colonel Reggie Winters, Claire Skinner (Outnumbered, Coma) as Mrs Calthrop and Youssef Kerkour (Home, Stay Close) as Yusuf.
Guest stars will also include Ricky Champ (EastEnders, Piglets) as Kendall, Allan Corduner (Tár, Homeland) as Maxie Kleinmann, Liza Sadovy (A Real Pain, Patience) as Ruth Kleinmann, Oli Fyne (Call the Midwife, Stella) as Hannah Kleinman, Ingrid Oliver (The Thursday Murder Club, Sweetpea) as Liesl Pohl and John Hopkins (A Very Royal Scandal, Masters of the Air) as Guy Windjammer.
Returning are Rosie Cavaliero (Funny Woman, Kaos) as Ada Dredge, Gerard Horan (Belgravia: The Next Chapter, Detectorists) as Mr Baseheart, Nadia Albina (A Thousand Blows, All of You) as Dr Calder and Jonas Nay (Messiah Superstar, The Tattoist of Auschwitz) as Felix. Mark Gatiss leads as Gabriel Book, with Polly Walker as Trottie Book, Connor Finch as Jack Blunt, Elliot Levey as Inspector Bliss, Blake Harrison as Sergeant Morris and Buket Kömür as Nora.
What’s in store in Season 2
Book is drawn into the world of spiritualism when asked to investigate a strange case involving medium Harold Sneed. Off Savile Row, Bliss seeks help on a puzzling murder at a gentleman’s outfitters, where elderly tailor Maxie Kleinmann is oddly keen to confess. Later, Book and Jack are dispatched by the mysterious ‘E’ to a picture-postcard German village at Christmas, where a thieving Duchess, an ominous castle and a tangle of secrets threaten to turn festivities fatal. Meanwhile, Book’s close ties to the police continue to be dangerous, and his lavender marriage with Trottie is tested by the debonair Colonel Winters.
Commissioned by Helen Perry for UKTV and ordered by Emma Tibbetts and Hilary Rosen, the U&Original is produced by Eagle Eye Drama in association with Happy Duck Films, co-written with Matthew Sweet and Ian Hallard, directed by Carolina Giammetta and produced by Jake Harvey. Beta Film handles world sales, PBS Distribution holds North American rights, and the production is supported by the Belgian Tax Shelter.
Season 1 of ‘Bookish’ is currently available to stream via Sky, NOW and Virgin Media. The spin-off book, also titled Bookish and written by Matthew Sweet, is available to purchase.
‘Bookish‘ Season 2 does not yet have a premiere date but will air on U&Alibi in the UK. If you want to keep track of this or any other shows, you can add them via our Never Miss system, and you’ll be notified when it gets a UK premiere date. Visit Never Miss.
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