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Daily Record
7 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Record
Is ITV drama Karen Pirie season two based on a true story?
Karen Pirie is back on our screens for a second season, with Outlander's Lauren Lyle in the leading role. Karen Pirie has made her comeback for an electrifying second series, with Outlander star Lauren Lyle tackling a fresh cold case mystery as the fearless Scottish detective. The much-loved ITV detective programme initially premiered in 2022, adapting Val McDermid's Inspector Karen Pirie book series for television. The debut series followed the intrepid young Scottish detective as she delved into a quarter-century-old case, exposing the killing of a barmaid amongst a tangled web of sinister secrets, deception, and potential suspects. This second series, drawing from McDermid's novel A Darker Domain, explores the 1984 abduction of an enchanting oil fortune heiress, Catriona Grant, alongside her two-year-old son Adam. The pair were snatched at gunpoint outside a chip shop in Fife, vanishing without trace despite a frenzied media frenzy. The investigation resurfaces when a man's corpse is discovered, bearing connections to the original abduction, reports the Mirror. The official description hints: "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." Is Karen Pirie series two inspired by real events? Whilst the investigation does appear plausible enough to have actually occurred, A Darker Domain remains entirely fictitious. The novel draws its inspiration from the UK Miners' Strike of 1984-1985 in Fife, when with the fictional crime of Catriona's kidnap and the setting where McDermid grew up. However, despite the central case of the series being a work of fiction, actress Lauren discovered some elements of truth in her character. She shared her intriguing experience during filming: "It was really interesting when we were filming, we started at St Andrews Cathedral and one night we had police escorts with us," she said prior to the first series broadcast. "One of them was a 20-something blonde woman, and it turns out she was a detective from Methil, the same tiny town Karen is from! To me, she was the real Karen Pirie. "So we exchanged numbers and we stayed in touch, it was like looking into a mirror for Karen." Emer Kenny, the writer, also recently emphasised the significance of maintaining the original timeline of the book, even though the first season is set in the 1990s while the initial book, The Distant Echo, takes place in the 1970s. Speaking to Radio Times, she explained: "This time it felt really important for it to be 1984, which is what it is in the book, because the background is the miners' strike, which, in the east of Scotland, was a massive thing in that area. "And quite a few of our characters are living in those areas, and some of the miners, so it felt really important that we keep it there. Also, I really love that era. I think it's interesting politically, and I like the music and the style." She added: "Also, it's quite important to Val because she's from that area, she lived through that." Lauren, reflecting on the filming process, shared with the publication that they frequently visited Val's hometown. She explained: "We'd put up some of our sets, you would see the old mounts, the pit heads, and we would use all that. And they've never been taken away, because they can't, they were just sort of abandoned. It's quite haunting and intense to be around that. It really puts into perspective how real some of that was." Karen Pirie is available to watch on ITVX.
Daily Mirror
8 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Is Karen Pirie season two based on a true story as ITV detective drama returns
Outlander actress Lauren Lyle has returned as detective Karen Pirie to uncover a new cold case. Karen Pirie has returned for a thrilling second season, with Outlander actress Lauren Lyle opening up a new cold case to solve. The beloved ITV detective drama first aired in 2022, bringing Val McDermid's Inspector Karen Pirie novels to screens. Season one saw young, fearless Scottish investigator Karen take on a 25-year-old case and uncover the murder of a barmaid amid a web of dark secrets, lies, and possible motives. The second season, based on McDermid's novel A Darker Domain, reveals the 1984 kidnap of a charming heiress to a vast oil fortune, Catriona Grant, and her two-year-old son Adam. They were kidnapped at gunpoint outside a fish and chip shop in Fife, and were never seen again, despite an uncontrollable press storm. The case returns to the spotlight when a man's body is uncovered, with links to the original kidnap. The synopsis teases: '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.' Is Karen Pirie season two based on a true story? Though the case does sound like something that could have really happened, A Darker Domain is fictional. The novel takes inspiration from the UK Miners' Strike of 1984-1985 in Fife, when the fictional crime of Catriona's kidnap took place, and where McDermid was raised. But although the case at the centre of the series is fictional, actress Lauren did find some truth to her character. 'It was really interesting when we were filming, we started at St Andrews Cathedral and one night we had police escorts with us,' she said ahead of the first series airing. 'One of them was a 20-something blonde woman, and it turns out she was a detective from Methil, the same tiny town Karen is from! To me, she was the real Karen Pirie. 'So we exchanged numbers and we stayed in touch, it was like looking into a mirror for Karen.' Writer Emer Kenny also recently revealed the importance of having the series stay true to when the book was set, despite season one being set in the 1990s while the first book, The Distant Echo, was set in the 1970s. She told Radio Times: "This time it felt really important for it to be 1984, which is what it is in the book, because the background is the miners' strike, which, in the east of Scotland, was a massive thing in that area. "And quite a few of our characters are living in those areas, and some of the miners, so it felt really important that we keep it there. Also, I really love that era. I think it's interesting politically, and I like the music and the style." She added: 'Also, it's quite important to Val because she's from that area, she lived through that." Reflecting on filming, Lauren revealed to the publication that where they were located, they 'often would go to where Val is from'. She said: 'We'd put up some of our sets, you would see the old mounts, the pit heads, and we would use all that. And they've never been taken away, because they can't, they were just sort of abandoned. It's quite haunting and intense to be around that. It really puts into perspective how real some of that was." Karen Pirie is available to watch on ITVX.
Metro
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Metro
ITV viewers already hooked on 'intriguing' police drama after 3 new episodes
ITV viewers are having trouble tearing themselves away from their TVs after three new episodes of an 'intriguing' police drama dropped on ITVX. Karen Pirie, the thriller series written by (and starring) EastEnders actress Emer Kenny, follows the story of its young but strong-headed titular detective. It first premiered in 2022 with a three-part first season, subtitled The Distant Echo, and returned for season two, A Darker Domain, on Sunday night. The series, which stars Lauren Lyle as DS Karen and Emer as Karen's friend River, is based on the crime novels written by Scottish author Val McDermid. Where season one focused on the unsolved murder case of a barmaid, season two picks up as Karen begins investigating a kidnapping incident from many years before. ITV viewers already can't get enough, with all three episodes of A Darker Domain available on ITVX – fans are blitzing through the entire thing already. On X, @MargaretKirkby5 said: 'Just binge watched second series of a Karen Pirie with Lauren Lyle and Emer Kenny. Brilliant, as good if not better than series one.' @Lanesracf concurred, mostly: 'Just finished watching season two of Karen Pirie. Really enjoyed it. Season one was better, but this was still a good watch. Lauren Lyle is a really good actress.' Meanwhile, @HaizEsque made sure to tell ITV the good news about their thoughts: 'Karen Pirie is so good. I'm so glad it's back on. It's been far too long since the first series. @ITV.' @IAmJamieTV had praise for Karen Pirie's production and editing teams, after tweeting 'some good stuff coming to ITV this autumn' in reference to the police thriller. Elsewhere, @ScottM commented, 'No, *you're* binge watching all of Karen Pirie season two and falling in love with Chris Jenks,' while @AlexCL1690 said, 'Enjoyable first episode of the new series, so intriguing I immediately binge-watched the other two.' Writer Emer and lead star Lauren have previously spoken about the intense research that went into crafting Karen Pirie and building its characters. 'It was really interesting when we were filming, we started at St Andrews Cathedral and one night we had police escorts with us,' said Lauren. 'One of them was a 20-something blonde woman, and it turns out she was a detective from Methil, the same tiny town Karen is from! To me, she was the real Karen Pirie. 'So we exchanged numbers and we stayed in touch, it was like looking into a mirror for Karen.' More Trending Fans of the books have no need to worry either, as the producers of the drama had Val's full blessing to create a TV adaptation – the author herself was brought in to consult on the show's direction. And it seems Karen may be ITV's favourite new detective for years to come, with more than a handful of novels to adapt from for any future seasons. 'There are six books and Val is writing a seventh,' Emer revealed when the show premiered in 2022. 'So there are all the possibilities there.' View More » Watch Karen Pirie on ITVX. Got a story? If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@ calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we'd love to hear from you. MORE: Woman who filmed Coldplay kisscam reveals how she captured bombshell moment MORE: 'A shark ate my arm and leg – I wouldn't change a thing' MORE: The oldest ever winner in I'm A Celebrity history 'tipped for comeback'
Scottish Sun
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
Is Karen Pirie based on a true story?
KAREN Pirie is now in its second season and once again has viewers hooked. The much-loved new series has left many viewers asking the same question – is it based on real-life events? 1 EastEnders actress Emer Kenny stars as River Wilde in Karen Pirie and also adapted the series from Val McDermid's crime novels Is Karen Pirie based on a true story? ITV's new drama Karen Pirie is not based on a true story. The series was adapted for television by actress and screenwriter, Emer Kenny – who also stars in the drama alongside the show's lead, Lauren Lyle. And while the characters are entirely fictional, Lyle explained what real-life research went into becoming Karen. Lyle said: "It was really interesting when we were filming, we started at St Andrews Cathedral and one night we had police escorts with us. "One of them was a 20-something blonde woman, and it turns out she was a detective from Methil, the same tiny town Karen is from! To me, she was the real Karen Pirie. "So we exchanged numbers and we stayed in touch, it was like looking into a mirror for Karen." Is Karen Pirie based on a book? Karen Pirie is the work of best-selling Scottish writer Val McDermid and the first season came from her book The Distant Echo, while the second season is adapted from Val's novel A Darker Domain. Val's novels have sold over 17 million copies worldwide, and this isn't the first time they have been adapted for the small screen. Her Tony Hill and Carol Jordan series were used as the basis for ITV crime drama Wire In The Blood. Who is in the second season of Karen Pirie? As mentioned above, Lauren Lyle is the lead actor and Emer Kenny, who adapted the novel for the ITV show, joins the cast as River Wilde. Other cast members in season two include: DC Jason 'Mint' Murray - Chris Jenks DS Phil Parhatka - Zach Wyatt River Wilde - Emer Kenny DCS Simon Lees - Steve John Shepherd DI Anderson - Thoren Ferguson Isla - Saskia Ashdown Catriona - Julia Brown Sir Broderick Grant - James Cosmo Lady Mary Grant - Frances Tomelty Fergus Sinclair - John Michie Bel Richmond - Rakhee Thakrar Urban Myths actor Zach Wyatt stars as DS Phil Parhatka with Jhon Lumsden as Ziggy Jnr who has made appearances in Doctors. Will there be a season three? Time will tell but you can keep up to date with all the best TV news and gossip with The Sun here.
Scottish Sun
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
Karen Pirie cast: Who appears in the ITV show?
Second series centres around a kidnapping and stunning locations DRAMA RETURNS Karen Pirie cast: Who appears in the ITV show? LAUREN Lyle is back for a second series of the Scottish murder-mystery whodunnit Karen Pirie. The gritty cop drama is produced by Line of Duty bosses and follows Detective Inspector Karen Pirie, freshly promoted after the events of series one. What is Karen Pirie about? Based on crime writer Val McDermid's novels, the new series is adapted from the Scottish novelist's 2008 page-turner, A Darker Domain. The first was based on Val's novel The Distant Echo. Teenager Rosie Duff was found brutally murdered in the Scottish university town of St Andrews in 1996 and three drunken students were the prime suspects. In the second season, Karen is put in charge of an infamous cold case from the 80s that has gained fresh scrutiny from senior police, the media, and the victim's relatives. In 1984, Catriona Grant, the daughter of a wealthy local oil tycoon, was abducted, along with her infant son. The ransom notes that followed stirred up a huge press storm, but the culprits were never traced and neither Catriona nor her son were seen again. But when, in the present day, a body is found with an undeniable link to the historic crime, Karen and her team must discover the truth under intense personal and professional pressure. Here's a look at the case who will be looking at uncovering the truth in the second series of Karen Pirie. Lauren Lyle as DS Karen Pirie 4 Lauren Lyle as Karen Pirie Outlander star Lauren Lyle again takes on the role of DC Karen Pirie. Lauren spent a great deal of time discovering her character with the best-selling author of the book, Val and with a detective she met. In the books, Karen is unfashionable and odd, and doesn't really mind what she looks like because her main focus is her job. That is why Lauren worked closely with costume designer Lesley Abernethy to make her look humble but cool at the same time. To get into character, she also explained how she got to understand the plot and the case like a detective. She said: "I read the scripts hundreds of times. "Like a detective, I got huge pieces of paper that I taped together and put on my wall, with details of the whole case. 'It's so complicated that I had to make sure I understood it, so I kept referencing back to this map on my wall. "There are so many suspects and I had to walk into each scene remembering if Karen really did suspect them or if she secretly trusted them.' Lauren appeared in Broken, alongside Sean Bean, in 2017, and played Jade Antoniak in Vigil. She has played Marshall in Outlander since 2017. Chris Jenks as DC Jason Murray 4 Chris Jenks portray Karen Pirie's partner, DC Jason Murray Credit: Rex The Sex Education star is back again. Portraying DC Jason Murray, Chris explained how his character brings humour to the show and how his relationship with Karen evolves through the episodes. He said: "Jason is really well-intentioned and good-natured, but just doesn't quite get things right a lot of the time. "He's desperately trying to hit the mark, but he just misses it. "He's maybe not the brightest detective on the team, but he kind of makes up for it in his hard work and through his relationship with Karen - they develop into a really good team and she helps him find his stride. "That relationship builds through the series - at first, they don't really see eye to eye and she's quite frustrated that she's been given such a potentially useless member of the team! "But he really shows his qualities as they move on and eventually he comes into his own, and really stands up for himself in the later episodes." Chris explained Jason to be a sort of mummy's boy who loves working out in the gym and enjoys doing basic things in life too such as going out and dating. Zach Wyatt as DS Phil Parhatka 4 Zach Wyatt as DS Phil Parhatka who is in a romantic relationship with Karen Pirie Zach Wyatt is known for his roles in The Witcher: Blood Origin, Blithe Spirit and Urban Myths. Now he takes on the role of detective Phil Parhatka, who was supposed to be promoted, but Karen took the position instead. Zach said: "He's a very diligent, driven detective - this job is all he has ever wanted to do and he's consumed by his work, he takes it very seriously but at a healthy level." Who else is in the second series? Who else is in the second series of Karen Pirie? James Cosmo (Braveheart) plays oil tycoon Sir Broderick Grant, while Julia Brown (The Last Kingdom) is victim Catriona Grant, daughter of Sir Broderick. 4 James Cosmo is in the second series and is best known for his role in Braveheart When is Karen Pirie season 2 released? The second series of Karen Pirie started at 8pm on ITV on Sunday, July 20. There are three episodes in the series, with the remaining two airing on Sunday, July 27 and Sunday, August 3. All episodes are available to stream on ITVX.
