There’s no keeping a good detective down, especially one with a sharp eye for overlooked evidence, very little patience for nonsense, and a trusty bumbag. ITV has officially renewed ‘Karen Pirie‘ for a third series, with Lauren Lyle (Outlander, Toxic Town) returning as Val McDermid’s determined Scottish detective.
The new series will adapt McDermid’s third Karen Pirie novel, The Skeleton Road, taking DI Karen Pirie into an investigation involving a decades-old mystery, the aftermath of the Balkan conflicts, and somebody who seems to think revenge is a perfectly acceptable alternative to the justice system. World Productions, the company behind the previous two series, is back on production duties, with filming scheduled to begin in 2027.
It’s not a particularly surprising renewal, given the numbers. Series two averaged 5.3 million viewers on ITV and STV, peaking at 5.6 million, while ITV says it was streamed 11 million times across ITVX and STV Player. Clearly, viewers are rather fond of Karen’s particular approach to solving crimes.
A body in the roof and secrets from the 1990s
This time, the investigation begins when human remains are discovered concealed in the roof of a derelict Edinburgh building. The victim fled the conflict in the Balkans during the 1990s and found refuge in Scotland, where he married a woman who has since become a famous author.
Naturally, discovering that the long-dead man has a rather high-profile connection makes keeping things quiet considerably more difficult. As Karen digs into his past, she uncovers dangerous secrets and a trail of revenge that suggests somebody has decided to settle old scores personally. With the possibility of further murders, she’ll need to untangle what happened decades ago before the body count starts climbing in the present.
The story continues the show’s approach of exploring how crimes from the past cast long shadows over the present. Series one was based on The Distant Echo, while series two adapted A Darker Domain. Now the third novel gets its turn, and Karen’s next investigation looks set to be an especially politically charged one.
New writing lead and a different episode format
There’s a change behind the scenes, with Gillian Roger Park (The Young Offenders, Avenue 5, The Bombing of Pan Am 103) taking the lead on the adaptation. Park worked alongside Emer Kenny on the second series, and now takes the reins from the writer who helped bring Karen’s world to television in the first place.
The third series will also change the way the story is divided up. Instead of three feature-length instalments, ITV has ordered six one-hour episodes. That’s the same total commissioned running time, but with twice as many individual chapters in which the investigation can unfold. Whether ITV plans to show them weekly has not yet been confirmed.
Lauren Lyle is also stepping up as an executive producer on the new series, and she sounds rather pleased about the promotion:
“Playing Karen Pirie has become one of the most delicious thrills of my career and knowing that people of the world want more of her and her bumbag is an absolute honour! With the added joy of getting to put my Executive Producer hat on for season 3, I can finally, much like Karen, whip all those higher up’s in to shape. In all seriousness, I’m so grateful to be bringing more Karen Pirie to our screens. Season 3 feels even more elevated, with an even wilder story full of thrills, twists, and of course, plenty of eye rolls.”
McDermid, who will again serve as executive producer, is equally enthusiastic about seeing another of her novels brought to the screen:
“I’m thrilled to hear that plans are so far advanced for Karen Pirie series three. The Skeleton Road is a favourite with many readers, so it’ll be particularly exciting to see it adapted. I feel very privileged to have such a talented team bringing my books to a wider audience and I can’t wait to see what they make of it.”
Screenwriter and actor Deli Segal (Pickle) will write an episode, while Marcus Wilson (Vigil, Doctor Who, Whitechapel) returns as producer, with Ella Tayler Baron serving as associate producer. McDermid, Lyle, Park and World Productions CEO Simon Heath are executive producing. Further cast announcements have yet to be made, so there’s no official word on which other familiar faces might join Karen this time around.
After two successful series and a collection of awards, including BAFTA Scotland recognition for Lyle and RTS Scotland’s Best Drama award for series two, ITV clearly sees plenty of life left in McDermid’s sharp-witted detective. And with a body in an Edinburgh rooftop and decades of secrets to unravel, Karen certainly isn’t going to be short of work.
‘Karen Pirie‘ Series 3 will air on ITV and STV and stream on ITVX and STV Player. A premiere date has not yet been announced.
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.
Login to Geektown