The BBC has released a brand-new trailer and artwork for the second series of ‘This City Is Ours‘, confirming the Liverpool-set crime drama will return this October, with all eight episodes landing on BBC iPlayer alongside a twice-weekly run on BBC One.
Created and written by Stephen Butchard (The Last Kingdom, Five Daughters) and produced by Left Bank Pictures, the award-winning drama returns with James Nelson-Joyce as Michael Kavanagh, alongside Hannah Onslow (The Doll Factory) as his partner, Diana Williams. And, judging by the new trailer, their attempts to escape the criminal underworld are going about as well as you’d expect…
The first series, which launched in March 2025, proved a huge hit for the BBC, attracting an average audience of 6.2 million viewers. Its opening episode has now been watched by more than 8.3 million people, over four times its original overnight audience of 1.9 million. Nearly three million viewers also streamed the finale before it aired on BBC One, suggesting audiences weren’t particularly keen on waiting to find out how things ended.
The drama also picked up BAFTA Television Award nominations for Best Drama and Leading Actor for James Nelson-Joyce, who went on to win Best Breakthrough Talent at the 2025 RTS North West Awards.
What’s Coming In Series 2?
The new series picks up almost immediately after the events of the first, with Michael and Diana barely having arrived in Spain before being pulled back into the criminal world they were hoping to leave behind.
The couple are forced to answer questions surrounding the death of Ricardo, a member of the Colombian cartel who was murdered at the end of Series 1. Unfortunately, his family aren’t exactly the sort of people who’ll accept a heartfelt apology and a sympathy card.
Back in Liverpool, tensions continue to simmer among the remaining members of the gang, with rivalries and unfinished business threatening to tear everything apart.
And just to make things even more complicated, an old-school gangster from Ronnie Phelan’s era has recently been released from prison and wants compensation from the firm.
That particular troublemaker is Ozzie Thompson, played by new cast member Shaun Evans (Endeavour, Until I Kill You), who looks set to cause plenty of problems for Michael and the rest of the gang.
Also joining the cast is Álvaro Morte (Money Heist, The Wheel of Time) as Felipe Guzman, the younger brother of the murdered Ricardo and another member of the Colombian cartel. Given what happened to his brother, we’re guessing he’s not popping over to Liverpool for the sightseeing.
Familiar Faces Return… Well, Most Of Them!
Returning alongside Nelson-Joyce and Onslow are Jack McMullen (Time) as Jamie Phelan, Mike Noble (The Capture) as Banksey, and Julie Graham (Shetland) as Elaine Phelan, widow of former gang boss Ronnie.
And yes, that would be Ronnie, played by Sean Bean (Game of Thrones, Sharpe), who once again managed to get himself killed off in the first series of a TV drama.
Seriously, Sean. We’re starting to think that when producers offer him a role, the first question his agent asks is whether he’ll need to be available for Series 2. At this point, the man has turned dying on screen into something of a specialist skill!
Also returning are Laura Aikman (Gavin & Stacey) as Rachel Duffy, Kevin Harvey (The Responder) as Bobby Duffy, Saoirse-Monica Jackson (Derry Girls) as Cheryl Crawford, Darci Shaw (The Bay) as Melissa Sullivan, Adam Abbou (The Tower) as Freddie, and Bobby Schofield (SAS Rogue Heroes) as Bonehead.
The eight-part second series was filmed in and around Liverpool, with additional filming taking place in Spain.
Stephen Butchard returns as creator and lead writer, with Robbie O’Neill writing an additional episode. Saul Dibb, who directed episodes of the first series, also returns as lead director, alongside fellow returning director John Hayes (Dublin Murders, Nightsleeper) and Chris Baugh (In Flight, Wreck).
The drama is produced by Left Bank Pictures, with Sony Pictures Television handling international distribution.
For anyone who missed the first series, there’s still time to catch up on BBC iPlayer before Michael and Diana discover that leaving the criminal underworld is considerably harder than getting into it.
‘This City Is Ours‘ Series 2 premieres Sunday, 25th October 2026 on BBC iPlayer, with all eight episodes available immediately. BBC One will air episodes on Sunday and Monday nights at 9pm, beginning the same day.
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