The Outlaws season 2 air date has been confirmed.
Stephen Merchant’s comedy-drama following a group of strangers who meet on community service will be back for its second season on BBC One on 5th June 2022, with all episodes arriving on BBC iPlayer then too.
The news was exclusively announced at a special preview of the opening episode at the BFI IMAX as part of the BFI & Radio Times Television Festival.
The Outlaws was a big hit when it was released last year, becoming the BBC’s biggest comedy launch of 2021 with 11 million streams on iPlayer.
Read more: The Outlaws shares first look at season 2 of Stephen Merchant comedy
As well as writer-director Merchant, the cast includes Eleanor Tomlinson, Gamba Cole, Darren Boyd, Clare Perkins and Jessica Gunning, all of whom took part in a cast Q&A at today’s season 2 premiere.
Elsewhere, Academy Award winner Christopher Walken, Rhianne Barreto, Charles Babalola, Nina Wadia, Dolly Wells and Ian McElhinney also return for the second instalment, along with Dracula star Claes Bang, who promises to play a key role in the new episodes as the mysterious and menacing Dean.
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The new episodes were filmed back-to-back with the first season due to the circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Speaking about the unusual filming conditions at today’s Q&A, Merchant joked: “Well it turns out that shooting two series of a show under a pandemic is a nightmare, and I would suggests no one ever does it.
“Particularly if one of your key cast members is 79-year-old Oscar winner Christopher Walken, because every day you’re on a knife edge hoping he doesn’t get COVID. If anyone even looks like they’re going to sneeze near him, you jump in front of him like you’re taking a bullet for the president.”
The official synopsis for The Outlaws season 2 reads: “Following on directly from the first series, the Outlaws still have time to serve on their sentences – but now they must face the fallout from their actions. If they thought the criminal underworld or the local police were done with them, they are sorely mistaken.
“The Outlaws must depend on one another while working with unlikely allies to atone for their sins – but can they save themselves without sacrificing their souls?”
The BFI & Radio Times Television Festival concludes on 22nd May and you can book the last remaining tickets here.
The Outlaws season 2 will air on BBC One on 5th June, with all episodes arriving on BBC iPlayer. Season 1 is available to stream on BBC iPlayer now. Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide to see what’s on tonight.
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