Outlander star returns to screens in major series announcement
A second season of ITV detective drama Karen Pirie is on the way, with Lauren Lyle in the leading role and ex-EastEnders actress Emer Kenny co-writing and starring
Writer and actress Emer Kenny has hinted at the return of ITV's detective drama Karen Pirie, featuring Outlander's Lauren Lyle.
The show, which debuted in 2022, adapts Val McDermid's Inspector Karen Pirie novels and stars Lauren as the lead character.
With production credits from the teams behind Line of Duty and Bodyguard, the series portrays Lauren as a "young and fearless Scottish investigator with a quick mouth and a tenacious desire for the truth".
In its inaugural season, viewers followed her character as she reopened the 25-year-old case of Rosie Duff, a barmaid who was attacked, stabbed, and left to die.
A true crime podcast brings the cold case back into the limelight, with DS Karen Pirie spearheading the reinvestigation.
As she delves into the past of three men who were once suspects but never prosecuted, she unravels a tangle of lies and secrets, navigating through complex motives to pinpoint the real killer.
The show earned an impressive 91% on Rotten Tomatoes, with audiences praising it as "a classic British crime drama with a nice modern touch to it".
Emer, formerly of EastEnders fame, who also contributes as a writer and actor on Karen Pirie, has provided an exciting update regarding the forthcoming series.
"My show, Karen Pirie, season 2 of that is coming out this summer," she disclosed in a chat with RadioTimes, adding: "Which is really exciting, because it's been a while since we've finished shooting it.
"So I'm just really pumped for it to be out in the world on ITV on Sunday nights."
She tantalised fans with a hint: "This time it's about a kidnap of a billionaire heiress, so it's a little bit more epic, a little bit bigger, and I'm just really excited for people to see."
Following a "really nice" response to the debut series, Emer shared her aspiration to deliver to her fans "something that is just as good".
The forthcoming second season is set to draw on A Darker Domain, the second novel of McDermid's collection. It will consist of three episodes, each two hours long.
Lauren opened up about the upcoming series, remarking: "I'm thrilled that we will continue the life of our fearless young detective Karen Pirie, and of course, her bumbag. I've known for a while how well the show has gone down behind the scenes, so it's been a joy to see audiences want more.
"It's a creative honour to work alongside Emer Kenny with the backbone of Val McDermid's story. Season 1 was incredibly exciting, building an original character we hadn't seen before. I look forward to getting the gang back together and finally being able to answer the question: 'Please say there will be a season 2?' with an 'Oh yes.'"
ITV has whetted the appetite for the next instalment, revealing: "In this second season, Karen reopens the investigation into the unsolved kidnap of a wealthy young heiress and her baby son back in 1985."
Karen Pirie is available to watch on ITVX.
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