This City Is Ours season 2: Release date speculation, cast and latest news
What's next for the scheming Phelan family and their rivals?
This City Is Ours, the critically-lauded BBC crime drama, has officially been renewed for a second season.
The show, which landed back in March and became an instant hit with critics and viewers alike, stars Sean Bean as Ronnie Phelan, the head of a crime gang whose decision to retire sparks a ferocious battle for succession between Michael Kavanagh (James Nelson-Joyce) and Jamie Phelan (Jack McMullen), who both saw themselves as the natural successors.
Chaos ensues, leading to a dramatic finale, which brings this chapter to a satisfying conclusion, while also paving the way for another season.
So, when could we expect a second season and what's it likely to be about? Here's everything we know so far about the future of This City Is Ours on BBC One and iPlayer.
This City Is Ours season 2 release date speculation
While we don't have an official release date as yet, it's likely that we'd see the next episodes arrive in approximately 12-18 months – meaning a release in early summer or autumn of 2026 would be possible.
That's just an estimate for now, though.
The series debuted simultaneously on BBC One and on iPlayer (as a box set), meaning that traditional Barb ratings will only tell part of the story, as a significant proportion will be watching online at their own pace.
News of the season 2 renewal will come as good news to series star James Nelson-Joyce, who previously told RadioTimes.com that he's keen to see the show move forward to a second season, but hasn't wanted to get swept up in hypotheticals at such an unpredictable time for the TV industry.
"I don't want to get my hopes built up," he said. "Imagine believing it's going somewhere and, for whatever reason, it didn't happen. I'd be gutted because I love doing this show.
"The crew is incredible, brilliant writing, [filming] in Liverpool – it's a proper Christmas gift. So I wouldn't want to get my hopes built up to believing that we're going for a season 2, to then not get it."
He added: "So, I kind of have to just go, 'Well, I enjoyed doing that. If it goes [ahead], fantastic. It's in the hands of the gods now... If we don't, then I have to be grateful for what I've had so far."
Meanwhile, ahead of the first season's premiere, Bean expressed optimism about the future of the show, telling the BBC: "There has not been anything like it before and I'm very pleased that I have been a part of it. I want it to have a long future - everyone involved in it deserves success."
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Creator Stephen Butchard previously said he has only planned what he was originally commissioned for, but didn't rule out further episodes.
He told the BBC: "I was commissioned to do eight episodes. I did not call it 'Series One'. This City Is Ours could never have been, say, a film because I would not have had the chance to develop the characters, and they are all important to me.
"I don’t sit there saying, 'Oh this plot will be developed further in series two or three and so on.'
"In This City Is Ours, I set out to write a fantastic story from episode 1 to episode 8 – a tale of real life and real emotions where families are dragged deeper and deeper into confrontation."
He continued: "I have set it in a real world, a chilling, mostly unseen universe of organised crime. It is a love story. A story of love and what people will do to seize and hold on to power."
Who could star in This City Is Ours season 2?
Fans can expect James Nelson-Joyce and Jack McMullen to return to continue their run as rival gangsters Michael Kavanagh and Jamie Phelan.
The core cast are also all likely to reprise their roles, with notable exceptions being Sean Bean (Ronnie Phelan), Stephen Walters (Davey Crawford), Daniel Cerqueira (Ricardo) and Shane Walker (Billy), as their characters didn't make it out of season 1 alive.
Here's a reminder of This City Is Ours season 1's cast members, who are still in play for the follow-up:
- James Nelson-Joyce as Michael Kavanagh
- Jack McMullen as Jamie Phelan
- Hannah Onslow as Diana
- Julie Graham as Elaine Phelan
- Laura Aikman as Rachel Duffy
- Kevin Harvey as Bobby Duffy
- Saoirse-Monica Jackson as Cheryl Crawford
- Darci Shaw as Melissa Phelan
- Mike Noble as Banksey
- Bobby Schofield as Bonehead
What could happen in This City Is Ours season 2?
There are no plot details for the second season just yet, with co-star Jack McMullen revealing to RadioTimes.com that the cast have "no idea" what Butchard has in mind for future chapters.
Suffice to say, there's plenty to get stuck into, from the tensions of the Phelan clan to the ramifications of Ricardo's death, which comes at the tail-end of the season 1 finale.
"[Stephen Butchard] set it up so nicely," McMullen said of season 2. "They've made a deal with another group, so they want to fulfil that. There's been a murder of the [leader of the] previous group – and now there's this rift in the gang.
"So yeah, I'm so interested to see what will happen next, and hopefully I get to read those scripts from Stephen soon, because we've got no idea."
Read more:
Is there a trailer for This City Is Ours season 2?
There's no trailer for This City Is Ours season 2 just yet, but we'll keep you posted if any new footage drops.
This City Is Ours is available to stream on BBC iPlayer.
Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Authors
David Craig is the Senior Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering the latest and greatest scripted drama and comedy across television and streaming. Previously, he worked at Starburst Magazine, presented The Winter King Podcast for ITVX and studied Journalism at the University of Sheffield.
Molly Moss is a Trends Writer for Radio Times, covering the latest trends across TV, film and more. She has an MA in Newspaper Journalism and has previously written for publications including The Guardian, The Times and The Sun Online.
