Will Shane Meadows’s unique period drama be back for a second outing?
Shane Meadows’s new series The Gallows Pole has now finished airing its first season on BBC Two, and while the story reached a climactic point, it’s fair to say that there’s still a lot of story to tell.
The series dramatised the true story of David Hartley who, in mid-18th century Cragg Vale, started a criminal enterprise which came to be known as the Cragg Vale Coiners.
With Michael Socha in the role of David and Sophie McShera as his love interest Grace, the story has only just seen David starting on his road towards infamy, meaning a potential second season could pick up right where this left off.
But is there more in store, or is this it for the period drama? Read on for everything you need to know about The Gallows Pole season 2.
Will The Gallows Pole be back for season 2?
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It has not yet been confirmed whether The Gallows Pole will be returning for a second season, but there is certainly potential for one.
The series is based on the book of the same name by Benjamin Myers, yet most of this first season acts as a prequel to the story told in that, meaning that a second season could delve deeper into the story Myers told.
At this point, the coiners have only just started up their enterprise, so it seems likely that Shane Meadows would want to get further into the story, towards the eventual fate of Michael Socha’s character David Hartley.
In fact, it seems that Meadows has already hinted as much, as when speaking with RadioTimes.com and other press ahead of the show’s debut, Meadows revealed that he and the team have already started planning future interactions for season 2 between David and the Stag Men, so much so that they have already shot some footage.
“Who knows where it would go in future seasons,” he said, “I mean, we shot one, we went into another episode that kind of isn’t connected to the prequel, there’s all this footage.
“And I think in the last one that we did, Grace is in there as well, and both David and the Stag Men don’t think Grace will be able to hear it because it’s a mystical relationship just between them two, and she wakes up and is kind of embroiled in it as well.
“So it’s probably gonna get ridiculous and become something that only maybe me and Michael–maybe only me, will find funny.”
We will keep this page updated once we know anything more about the future of the series.
When would The Gallows Pole season 2 be released?
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Without official confirmation that the series has been renewed as of yet, it’s difficult to tell exactly when a season 2 could be released.
We’d imagine that, should the renewal come soon, the earliest we could see a season 2 would be spring/summer 2024, in a year’s time. We’ll keep this page updated once we have any further information or confirmation regarding the show’s future.
The Gallows Pole cast – who would return for a second season?
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If The Gallows Pole does return, we would certainly expect Michael Socha, Sophie McShera and Thomas Turgoose to be back, along with the rest of the central cast including Yusra Warsama, Anthony Welsh and Ralph Ineson.
We could also see the introduction of new characters. When the series was first announced, Tom Burke and George MacKay were said to be in the cast, yet they didn’t appear in season 1. Could they be being held back until season 2? Only time will tell.
For now, here’s a list of the central cast from season 1, all of whom we would expect to return for a second season:
- Michael Socha as David Hartley
- Sophie McShera as Grace Hartley
- Thomas Turgoose as William Hartley
- Yusra Warsama as Bethsheba
- Anthony Welsh as Abe Oldfield
- Samuel Edward-Cook as Isaac Hartley
- Joe Sproulle as Joe
- Adam Fogerty as James Broadbent
- Nicole Barber-Lane as Susie
- Fine Time Fontayne as Joseph Broadbent
- Ralph Ineson as The Clothier
- Stevie Binns as Mand
- Jennifer Reid as Barb
- Soraya Jane Nabipour as Darya Hartley
- Olivia Pentelow as Hannah
- Charlotte Ockelton as Gwen Hartley
- Dave Perkins as Tom Hartley
Is there a trailer for The Gallows Pole season 2?
There isn’t a trailer available for The Gallows Pole season 2 yet, but we’ll keep this page updated if any new footage is released.
In the meantime you can rewatch the trailer for season 1 right here now.
The Gallows Pole is available to stream in full now on BBC iPlayer. For more, check out our dedicated Drama page or our full TV Guide and Streaming Guide.
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