ITV and World Productions (Line of Duty, Malpractice) have revealed the first look at the return of the critically-acclaimed cold-case drama Karen Pirie.
Double BAFTA Scotland winner Lauren Lyle reprises her role as audience-favourite Detective Inspector Karen Pirie, and of course she has a new case to solve.
After thrilling audiences as one of ITV’s most-watched dramas, the 3 x120’ drama, based on celebrated author Val McDermid’s A Darker Domain and adapted by Emer Kenny (The Curse, Save Me Too) will return for a second series to ITV, STV, ITVX and STV Player in July and on BritBox in the U.S. and Canada in October.
After her bittersweet success in series one, Karen has been promoted to Detective Inspector and seemingly given the authority she has long been fighting for. Just as she’s getting into the swing of her powerful new role, she is assigned an infamous unsolved case that will put her under intense scrutiny; from her boss, from the media, and ultimately, from sinister forces that would rather the past stayed in the past.
The 1984 case of Catriona and Adam Grant has confounded investigators and intrigued the public like no other. Catriona, the charming young heiress to a vast oil fortune, and her two year old son Adam, were brutally kidnapped at gunpoint outside a fish and chip shop in Fife. The ransom notes that followed stirred up an uncontrollable press storm, but when the culprits fell silent, the police faltered, and Catriona and Adam were never seen again.
Now, a man’s body has been discovered, with indisputable links to the original kidnap. With the first piece of evidence in decades, Karen must assemble an unbeatable team alongside her sincere and lovable sidekick DC Jason ‘Mint’ Murray (Chris Jenks) and the brilliant – but romantically complicated – DS Phil Parhatka (Zach Wyatt). With the international renown of the kidnap and the constant pressure from Catriona’s father, Sir Broderick Grant (James Cosmo), the team take on the biggest challenge of their careers to date. As Karen delves deeper into what happened in the autumn of 1984, political grudges and painful secrets reveal themselves, and it soon becomes clear… the past is far from dead.
Lauren Lyle (Outlander, The Outrun) appears alongside series one regulars Chris Jenks (Sex Education, Vigil), Zach Wyatt (Timestalker, The Witcher: Blood Origin), Steve John Shepherd (Harry Potter), Emer Kenny (The Curse), and Rakhee Thakrar (Wonka). Joining the returning cast are Saskia Ashdown (Six Four), James Cosmo (Braveheart), Frances Tomelty (Unforgotten), and John Michie (Holby City).
Bringing the 1980s to life are previously announced cast members Julia Brown (World on Fire), Mark Rowley (One Day), Kat Ronney (Dinosaur), Conor Berry (Schemers), Stuart Campbell (The Winter King), Jamie Michie (Back to Life), Madeleine Worrall (The Legend of Tarzan), Jack Stewart (Outlander), Thoren Ferguson (Rebus), and Helen Katamba (The Nest). New additions to the present-day storyline include James Fleet (Bridgerton), Tom Mannion (Mr Selfridge), and Tommaso Basili (Martin Scorsese Presents: The Saints).
As one of ITV’s most-watched new dramas of 2022, the first series premiered with 6.6 million viewers, and averaged 5.9m across each episode. Praised for its compelling twists and humour, the star-making turn saw the series win both Best Actress Television and the Audience Award for Favourite Scot on Screen at BAFTA Scotland for Lauren Lyle, Best Drama at the Celtic Media Festival and a Best Mini-Series nomination at the British Press Guild Awards. The series earnt critical acclaim as “modern and fresh” (The Times) and “a truly exceptional example of the TV crime genre” (Heat).
Karen Pirie is written by Emer Kenny and is executive produced by Simon Heath and Emma Luffingham at World Productions, Emer Kenny and Val McDermid. The series is directed by Gareth Bryn, with Amanda Blue directing episode three, and produced by Marcus Wilson. It is produced in association with ITV Studios, which handles global distribution. Filming took place in Scotland and Malta.
The series has been commissioned by Polly Hill, Director of Drama for ITV, and Drama Commissioner Huw Kennair-Jones. Huw has overseen production on behalf of the broadcaster. Karen Pirie will air on ITV1 and STV and be available for streaming on ITVX and STV Player and BritBox in the U.S. and Canada. World Productions are part of ITV Studios.
