BBC renews Bloodlands for Season 2
David Farnor | On 15, Mar 2021
BBC One has renewed Bloodlands for a second season.
Created by new writer Chris Brandon and produced by HTM Television (co-owned by Jed Mercurio and Hat Trick Productions), Bloodlands follows Northern Irish police detective Tom Brannick (James Nesbitt), who quickly connects a car containing a possible suicide note that’s pulled out of Strangford Lough to an infamous cold case with enormous personal significance. Bloodlands follows his hunt for the legendary assassin known as “Goliath”.
The legend goes that he was a serving police officer who vanished without trace 20 years ago – and among his original victims was Tom’s wife. Against opposition from old friend DCS Jackie Twomey (Lorcan Cranitch), Brannick and his partner, DS Niamh McGovern (Charlene McKenna), break open the Goliath case in the hope that it will help them solve the kidnapping. As they dig deeper, they find gaps in the original investigation, opening up a cat-and-mouse game where the stakes have never been higher.
“James Nesbitt is broodingly intense” we wrote in our review of the show, describing it as “a twisting, gripping mystery”.
The four-part series launched with an average of 8.2 million viewers, making it the biggest new BBC drama launch since June 2020. In Northern Ireland, the premiere episode had a 52 per cent consolidated audience share (live and time-shifted viewing), making it the highest BBC drama to launch locally on record. Now, within hours of the show’s finale airing on BBC One, the BBC has ordered a second season.
The cat-and-mouse thriller is rooted in Northern Ireland, and filming will take place once again in Belfast and the surrounding areas, including Strangford Lough. This is the latest commission to be announced as part of the BBC and Northern Ireland Screen partnership agreement. The successful partnership, which is soon to be renewed for its third term, continues to support the screen industry in Northern Ireland and help ensure that content filmed and set in Northern Ireland is brought to audiences across the UK and internationally.
Piers Wenger, Director of BBC Drama, says: “We’ve been overwhelmed by the audience response to Bloodlands and are thrilled to announce that the series is returning. Chris’ scripts shine a light on to tensions in Northern Ireland, both historic and present day, and it’s a testament to his skills as a dramatist, to a virtuoso performance from Jimmy Nesbitt and the care taken by all at HTM Television, that the series has been so beloved by audiences in Northern Ireland and throughout the UK.”
Nesbitt adds: “I’m thrilled that viewers responded to Bloodlands so positively and that we will be returning for a second series. I’m always happy to be back in Northern Ireland and to reveal even more about Tom Brannick.”
Brandon comments: “I’m absolutely delighted that Tom Brannick’s story will continue with a new series of Bloodlands. It has been phenomenal to get such a positive response to James Nesbitt’s astounding performance, and the excellent work of his fellow cast and crew. What a privilege to begin another adventure with HTM Television and the BBC, in Northern Ireland – I can’t wait.”
Season 1 is currently available on BBC iPlayer.
Trailer: Bloodlands begins on BBC One this February
15th February 2021
James Nesbitt is heading to BBC One this February for Bloodlands, and a new trailer gives us a first look at the crime drama.
Created by new writer Chris Brandon and produced by HTM Television (co-owned by Jed Mercurio and Hat Trick Productions), Bloodlands follows Northern Irish police detective Tom Brannick (James Nesbitt), who quickly connects a car containing a possible suicide note that’s pulled out of Strangford Lough to an infamous cold case with enormous personal significance. Bloodlands follows his hunt for the legendary assassin known as “Goliath”.
The legend goes that he was a serving police officer who vanished without trace 20 years ago – and among his original victims was Tom’s wife. Against opposition from old friend DCS Jackie Twomey (Lorcan Cranitch), Brannick and his partner, DS Niamh McGovern (Charlene McKenna), break open the Goliath case in the hope that it will help them solve the kidnapping. As they dig deeper, they find gaps in the original investigation, opening up a cat-and-mouse game where the stakes have never been higher.
The series begins at 9pm on BBC One on 21st February. Here’s the trailer:
Michael Smiley joins James Nesbitt in BBC One’s Bloodlands
13th February 2020
Michael Smiley will join James Nesbitt in BBC One’s Bloodlands.
The crime drama, created by exciting new writer Chris Brandon and produced by HTM Television (co-owned by Jed Mercurio and Hat Trick Productions), follows Northern Irish police detective Tom Brannick (James Nesbitt), who quickly connects a car containing a possible suicide note that’s pulled out of Strangford Lough to an infamous cold case with enormous personal significance. Bloodlands follows his hunt for the legendary assassin known as ‘Goliath’, an explosive cat-and-mouse game where the stakes have never been higher.
James Nesbitt (The Missing, Cold Feet) was cast in the drama last year. He’ll be joined by Smiley, Lisa Dwan (Top Boy, Trust), Lorcan Cranitch (Fortitude, The Dig), Charlene McKenna (Ripper Street, Vienna Blood), Ian McElhinney (Derry Girls, Game Of Thrones), Lola Petticrew (My Left Nut, Come Home), Chris Walley (The Young Offenders, 1917), Kathy Kiera Clarke (Derry Girls, The Pale Horse), and Susan Lynch (Happy Valley, Save Me). Additional cast include Peter Ballance, Asan N’Jie, Cara Kelly and Flora Montgomery.
Bloodlands is Chris Brandon’s first original drama series commission and the first drama from newly formed production company HTM Television. It was commissioned by Piers Wenger, Controller of BBC Drama and Charlotte Moore, Controller of BBC Content. The executive producers are Jed Mercurio, Jimmy Mulville and Mark Redhead for HTM Television and Tommy Bulfin for the BBC.
Jed Mercurio, Executive Producer for HTM Television, says: “HTM Television is honoured such a prestigious cast will bring to life Chris Brandon’s thrilling, thought-provoking series Bloodlands.”
Directed by Pete Travis (Omagh, The Go-Between) and produced by Christopher Hall (The Durrells, Critical), Bloodlands is produced with funding from Northern Ireland Screen.
Filming is now underway in and around Belfast and Strangford Lough.
James Nesbitt to star in BBC One’s Bloodlands
7th November 2019
James Nesbitt (The Missing, Cold Feet) will star in Bloodlands, a new drama for BBC One.
When a car containing a possible suicide note is pulled out of Strangford Lough, Northern Irish police detective Tom Brannick (James Nesbitt) quickly connects it to an infamous cold case with enormous personal significance. Bloodlands follows his dogged hunt for a legendary assassin, an explosive cat-and-mouse game where the stakes have never been higher.
Created by new writer Chris Brandon, Bloodlands is his first original drama series commission and the first drama from newly formed production company HTM Television. It was commissioned by Piers Wenger, Controller of BBC Drama and Charlotte Moore, Controller of BBC Content. The executive producers are Jed Mercurio, Jimmy Mulville and Mark Redhead for HTM Television and Tommy Bulfin for the BBC.
Nesbitt says: “It’s great to be back making a drama in and about Northern Ireland, which now has a film and television industry as good as any in the world. We have compelling scripts from a brilliant young writer who was raised in County Down, which are very exciting and psychologically complex. I can’t wait to start.”
Brandon says: “I’m absolutely delighted that the first opportunity I get to tell a story on this scale, it is one that is so close to home and the people and places that raised me. On top of that, to be telling it with James Nesbitt, Jed Mercurio and the incredible team at HTM is a total privilege.”
Jed Mercurio, Executive Producer for HTM Television, says: “It’s been incredibly rewarding to discover Chris Brandon’s work and to witness the development of an outstanding new voice in contemporary television thriller writing, added to which everyone at HTM Television is honoured an actor of James Nesbitt’s brilliance will star in our debut production.”
Jimmy Mulville, Executive Producer for HTM Television, says: “We’re thrilled to be making our first HTM drama not just in Northern Ireland but about Northern Ireland. This is a compelling edge-of-the-seat thriller which couldn’t be more timely. The ‘Irish noir’ genre has arrived!”
It will be directed by Pete Travis (Omagh, The Go-Between) and produced by Christopher Hall (The Durrells, Critical). It will be produced with funding from Northern Ireland Screen. Filming will take place in and around Belfast and Strangford Lough.