David Farnor | On 16, Nov 2024

SAS Rogue Heroes will return to BBC One later this year, and a new trailer give us a closer look at Season 2.

Based on Ben Macintyre’s best-selling book of the same name, SAS Rogue Heroes follows David Stirling (Connor Swindells), Jock Lewes (Alfie Allen) and Paddy Mayne (Jack O’Connell) in a dramatised account of how the SAS was formed in the darkest days of World War Two.

“Steven Knight’s never knowingly understated wartime thriller is an entertaining ride,” we wrote in our review.

Written and created for television by Steven Knight, the co-production with MGM+ will again star O’Connell and Swindells, as Season 2 follows the regiment who are facing their next battle on a whole new terrain.

Also returning for Season 2 will be Sofia Boutella as Eve Mansour and Dominic West as Dudley Clarke, plus Theo Barklem-Biggs as Reg Seekings, Corin Silva as Jim Almonds, Jacob Ifan as Pat Riley, Jacob McCarthy as Johnny Cooper, Stuart Campbell as Bill Fraser, and Bobby Schofield as Dave Kershaw.

It will pick up in spring 1943, as Paddy Mayne takes control of the SAS and attention turns from the conflict in North Africa to mainland Europe. But GHQ have cast doubt over the future of the regiment, while the creation of a second unit and an influx of new arrivals make things even more difficult for the men. Can they prove that the SAS remain essential to the war, wherever it may lead them?

Gwilym Lee (The Great, Bohemian Rhapsody) joins the cast as Bill Stirling, David Stirling’s brother and founder of the 2SAS regiment, while Con O’Neill (Happy Valley, Our Flag Means Death) appears as General Montgomery. Among the brigade’s new recruits are Mark Rowley (The Last Kingdom, The North Water) and Jack Barton (Heartstopper, War of the Worlds), who will play SAS members Jock McDiarmid and John Tonkin respectively. Further new cast members include Stuart Thompson (The Witcher, Starstruck), Paolo De Vita (Anonymous, La Grande Guerra del Salento), Anna Manuelli (Blocco 181, Pezzi unici), Edward Bennett (Industry, Save Me Too) and Matteo Franco.

Season 2 will debut on BBC One in the UK, with the release date set be announced imminently. It will be available on MGM+ in the USA.

 

 

 

SAS Rogue Heroes to return for Season 2

7th December 2022

SAS Rogue Heroes will return to the BBC for a second season.

Based on Ben Macintyre’s best-selling book of the same name, SAS Rogue Heroes follows David Stirling (Connor Swindells), Jock Lewes (Alfie Allen) and Paddy Mayne (Jack O’Connell) in a dramatised account of how the SAS was formed in the darkest days of World War Two, with fellow cast members including Dominic West, Sofia Boutella, Tom Glynn-Carney and Theo Barklem-Biggs.

The show has been a hit for the Beeb, with Episode 1 attracting 9.4 million viewers (28-day all screens figure). This makes SAS Rogue Heroes the BBC’s third biggest drama launch of the year so far. Now, the show has been renewed for a second run, showing viewers what comes next for the SAS, following the dramatic turn of events in Season 1’s final episode – complete with a “TO BE CONTINUED” title card.

Steven Knight says: “After the roaring success of Rogue Heroes I’m delighted to be embarking on the next chapter of the story. Series two will take the SAS into mainland Europe and will take our heroes to the limits of their endurance.”

Filming will take place in 2023.

 

Steven Knight to adapt SAS: Rogue Heroes for BBC One

20th August 2019

Steven Knight will bring Ben Macintyre’s SAS: Rogue Heroes book to screen for BBC One.

The best-selling book tells the incredible story of how the world’s most renowned and ruthless Special Forces unit, the SAS, came to exist. The series will be adapted by the Peaky Blinders and Taboo writer and produced by Kudos (part of Endemol Shine UK), whose credits include Broadchurch (ITV), The Tunnel (Sky Atlantic) and Humans (Channel 4).

Written with privileged access to the secret SAS archives, the definitive account of SAS history will tell the story behind the revolutionary thinking that led to the creation of a new form of combat and warfare in the deserts of North Africa. Celebrating the glory, action and camaraderie at the heart of this story, the series will delve into the psychology of the flawed, reckless but brave group of maverick officers and men who formed the SAS in the darkest days of World War Two.

Knight says: “This will be a secret history telling the story of exceptional soldiers who decided battles and won wars only to then disappear back into the shadows. We will shine a light on remarkable true events informed by the people who shaped them.”

Piers Wenger, Controller of BBC Drama, adds: “It is an honour to be working once again with the great Steve Knight. SAS: Rogue Heroes will lift the lid on the origins of one of Britain’s most iconic institutions and explore the characters, courage and flaws of the men involved with all of the honesty and swagger we have come to expect from Steve.”

The six-part drama was commissioned by Piers Wenger, Controller of BBC Drama and Charlotte Moore, Director of BBC Content. It will be executive produced by Karen Wilson, Martin Haines and Emma Kingsman-Lloyd for Kudos and Tommy Bulfin for BBC One.

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