Gold orders second series of Murder, They Hope
- Johnny Vegas and Sian Gibson are returning for a second series of comedy mysteries Murder, They Hope
- The three new episodes promise church bells, couples therapy, aristocratic mystery and "a framing like no other"
- "It's such a joy to be able to take Terry and Gemma on another series of journeys into the word we have created for them" said writer Jason Cook
Johnny Vegas and Sian Gibson are returning for a second series of Murder, They Hope, British Comedy Guide can exclusively reveal.
Gold has ordered three more hour-long episodes of the crime-solving comedy drama in which the pair play a couple, Gemma and Terry, sleuthing as private investigators, to air later this year.
Once again written by comedian Jason Cook (Hebburn), filming begins in London this summer on the latest instalments of the Agatha Christie-inspired whodunnit franchise, collectively known as The Draper's Tours Mysteries, after Gemma and Terry's former coach tour business.
"It's such a joy to be able to take Terry and Gemma on another series of journeys into the word we have created for them" said Cook. "The reaction from the public has been incredibly heart-warming and I'm so happy that UKTV are allowing us to keep telling their stories."
Co-starring Sarah Hadland (Miranda) and Shobna Gulati (Dinnerladies), Murder, They Hope's first series aired last year, following the individual features Murder On The Blackpool Express (2017), Death On The Tyne (2018) and Dial M For Middlesbrough (2019).
The second series picks up where the first left off and promises "church bells, couples therapy, aristocratic mystery and a framing like no other".
Further cast for the latest series is expected to be revealed later in the year. Guest stars to have already appeared in the franchise include Paul Whitehouse, Sue Johnston, Lee Mack, Una Stubbs, Doon Mackichan, Jason Manford, Kiell Smith-Bynoe, Griff Rhys Jones, Nigel Havers, Joanna Page, Phil Cornwell, Annette Crosbie, Kevin Eldon, Felicity Montagu, Nina Wadia, Mark Heap, Janine Duvitski, James Fleet, Phil Davis, Kimberley Nixon, Mike Wozniak and Cook himself in a succession of cameos.
Made by Shiny Button (King Gary, Murder In Successville), Murder, They Hope and its predecessors have been amongst Gold's most popular commissions, with the 2021 series reportedly the channel's second highest rated original of last year, attracting 687,000 viewers in total, only behind the retrospective The Vicar Of Dibley: Inside Out.
The second series is directed by Ed Bye and Sarmad Masud and the producer is Andy Harvey. The executive producers for Shiny Button are Mollie Freedman Berthoud and Andy Brereton.
It was commissioned for UKTV by Pete Thornton, head of scripted, and ordered by Gerald Casey, channel director for Gold.
"It feels like a rare thing to have a comedy that lasts for more than a few years nowadays on British TV, so to be back in business with the brilliant team behind Murder, They Hope when they first smashed records on Gold with the franchise way back in 2017 feels pretty special" said Thornton. "To be welcoming back Sian and Johnny and to have a series in such rude health creatively feels even more remarkable. Hats off to all involved - we can't wait to see whodunnit next."
Casey added: "Jason Cook's brilliantly hilarious murder mysteries have become a true mainstay of the Gold channel. I can't wait to see Sian and Johnny back together as TV's funniest crime-solving duo."