Shakespeare & Hathaway gets a second series

Tuesday 3rd April 2018, 10:18am

Comedy drama Shakespeare & Hathaway - Private Investigators has been recommissioned
Series 2 will be broadcast early in 2019
The first series of the BBC One weekday programme "generated exceptional audience feedback"

BBC One has ordered a second series of its new comedy drama Shakespeare & Hathaway - Private Investigators.

A 10-part Series 1 was broadcast daily over two weeks last month, seeing former policeman Frank Hathaway (Mark Benton) team up with the hard-headed Lu Shakespeare (Jo Joyner) to save his fledgling private detective agency.

The BBC today described the series as "the most watched Daytime series on catch up (+0.4m) to date", adding that Series 1 "has had a huge volume of traffic on iPlayer with over 2m requests so far. In the programme's first week it was in the top 10 of all BBC content on iPlayer."

The recommission "follows a hugely successful launch series which generated exceptional audience feedback and was met with widespread critical acclaim".

Produced by BBC Studios in Birmingham, the series averaged 2.11m viewers on television, representing a 26.4% audience share (against an average viewership of 1.0m/16% at this time on BBC One), making it the biggest drama launch for the channel's weekday schedules since Father Brown in 2013.

Series 2 is set to begin filming in September on location in Stratford-upon-Avon.

Dan McGolpin, BBC Controller of Programming and Daytime, says: "This new series has amused and delighted so many viewers with its inspired story-telling, intriguing characters and knowing comedy - all set in Shakespeare country. I'm very pleased to confirm that it will return to both BBC One Daytime and iPlayer early next year."

Will Trotter, Head of Daytime Drama at BBC Studios says: "Series 2 will see Frank and Lu investigating kidnapped canines, locked room mysteries, dead ringers and doppelgängers, vice, fraud, extortion and identity theft. Our detectives will continue were they left putting the world to rights as they snoop and pry. More ado in Stratford-Upon-Avon."

Jo Joyner adds: "I'm totally thrilled to have the chance to visit Lu, Frank and Sebastian again in the beautiful surroundings of the Warwickshire countryside. We were really blown away by the support the first series garnered and we can't wait to see what they get up to next!"

Mark Benton says: "I'm so thrilled to be making the show again. The reaction was phenomenal and hopefully series two will be even better. Can't wait."

All 10 episodes of Series 1 are currently available on iPlayer, and a DVD release of the series is planned for later this month.

Shakespeare & Hathaway: Private Investigators - Series One

Private inspector Frank Hathaway has always worked alone. Only Frank isn't doing so well. He might have a brilliant instinct when it comes to solving crime, but he's also out of shape and low on cash. Frank needs a partner. Frank needs ex-hairdresser and people-person Lu. He just doesn't know it yet. Frank and Lu eventually join forces and form a highly unlikely and hugely entertaining detecting duo. They quickly discover all is not as peaceful as it seems in this pretty theatre town. Vengeful lovers stalk the streets, the mayor is murdered and a magician's trick fatally misfires.

First released: Monday 23rd April 2018