Filming for the second season of the BBC’s hit gangster drama This City Is Ours is now underway. The production start was confirmed alongside major casting news: Shaun Evans and Álvaro Morte are joining the cast for the new season. The show, which became the BBC’s biggest new drama launch of the year, will continue its story with filming in Liverpool and Spain.
Returning Cast and New Additions
The core cast from the popular first season is returning for the new episodes. James Nelson-Joyce is back as leading gang member Michael Kavanagh, with Hannah Onslow returning as his partner, Diana Williams. Other returning cast members include Jack McMullen as Jamie Phelan, Mike Noble as Banksey, Julie Graham as Elaine Phelan, and Saoirse-Monica Jackson as Cheryl Crawford.
The new cast members bring exciting new dynamics to the story. Shaun Evans, known for playing the title role in Endeavour, will play Ozzie Thompson, a former gangster who has recently been released from prison. Álvaro Morte, famous for his role as The Professor in Money Heist, will play Felipe Guzman, a member of the Colombian cartel. His character is the younger brother of Ricardo, who was murdered at the end of the first series.
Plot Details for the New Season
The second season will pick up right where the first one ended. Michael and Diana have barely arrived in Spain when they are pulled back into the criminal world to answer questions about Ricardo’s death. Back in Liverpool, tensions continue to rise among the remaining members of the gang. Complicating matters further, an old school gangster from Ronnie’s era, recently out of prison, wants compensation from the criminal organization.
The first season followed a power struggle for control of a cocaine-trafficking gang after the retirement of leader Ronnie Phelan, played by Sean Bean. The drama was praised for balancing its gritty crime story with lighter moments and a focus on family life, as Michael and Diana contemplated fertility treatment while navigating the criminal underworld.
A Breakout Hit for the BBC
The first series of This City Is Ours launched on BBC One and BBC iPlayer in March and was an immediate success. A BBC spokesperson confirmed it was the BBC’s most watched new drama launch of the year, attracting an average of 5.8 million viewers. The first episode has now been watched by 7.8 million viewers to date. The finale was streamed by almost three million people ahead of its BBC One broadcast.
The show, created by writer Stephen Butchard, was dubbed the “Scouse Sopranos” by some reviewers. It won over audiences with its blend of intense drama and viral-worthy lighter scenes, such as Sean Bean leading a charge of golf buggies and the cast line-dancing to the 1950s song “The House of Bamboo.”
Production and Filming
The new eight-part season is produced by Left Bank Pictures for BBC iPlayer and BBC One. Stephen Butchard returns as the creator and lead writer. Saul Dibb is back as the lead director. Filming for the second season will take place in and around Liverpool, with additional filming occurring in Spain, continuing the international scope of the story.
The series is distributed internationally by Sony Pictures Television.
James Nelson-Joyce, who plays lead character Michael, previously said he was “a lucky lad” to be playing such a role in his home city.
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