Detectorists Series 3 confirmed
- BBC Four has confirmed a third series of Detectorists, Mackenzie Crook's sitcom about metal detector users
- Six episodes will be filmed this summer, for broadcast later this year. All the main cast are expected to return
- Mackenzie Crook says: "After a year away, I decided I missed my friends in Danebury so much"
British Comedy Guide can reveal that BBC Four has confirmed a third series of Detectorists, the sitcom about a group of treasure hunters.
Written, directed and starring Mackenzie Crook, the BAFTA-winning comedy will return for six more episodes later in 2017.
The new series will see Andy (Crook) and Lance (Toby Jones) arm themselves with their metal detectors once more in a bid to strike gold. The forthcoming series follows on from the 2015 Christmas Special that saw Lance battling the 'curse of the gold' after having found his Anglo-Saxon treasure, and Andy and Becky making the move to Botswana with their son Stan for an African adventure of teaching and archaeological digs.
Rachael Stirling (Becky), Aimee-Ffion Edwards (Sophie), Gerard Horan (Terry), Pearce Quigley (Russell), Divian Ladwa (Hugh), Laura Checkley (Louise), Sophie Thompson (Sheila), Orion Ben (Varde), Simon Farnaby (Art) and Paul Casar (Paul) are all expected to reprise their roles for the new episodes.
Mackenzie Crook, signalling this could be the final series, says: "After a year away, I decided I missed my friends in Danebury so much, that I have to go back to the world of Detectorists one more time to see what Andy and Lance can dig up. The prospect of filming another summer in the beautiful English countryside is a good one, and I'm very proud that the third series will premiere on BBC Four where it all started."
Cassian Harrison, Controller of BBC Four, comments: "Detectorists has been one of my personal TV highlights of the last few years, and I'm simply delighted to welcome Mackenzie, Toby, Rachel, and all the detecting team back to the BBC Four abode once again - but could they just hang on while I pop out for a quick carry-out of best Somerset cider?"
BBC Comedy Commissioner Shane Allen adds: "Mackenzie has created and beautifully crafted a modern masterpiece bursting with warm-hearted comic joy. It deserves its place in that rare sweet spot of record breaking channel audiences and huge global critical acclaim. How can I possibly resist jumping on the bandwagon of all those who said the show has unearthed comedy gold? There. I did it."
Series 3 of Detectorists will shoot this summer and return to BBC Four later in the year.