World Productions has produced several hit shows, including Vigil, Line of Duty, and Save Me, as well as the gripping legal mystery anthology Showtrial, which is returning for series 2, three years after the original aired.
The next instalment of the TV drama includes an all-new cast and follows a brand new case of the murder of a high-profile climate activist who was left for dead in a violent hit-and-run. He uses his last moments to "identify" the culprit - a serving policeman - but who is Officer X?
What is Showtrial season 2 about?
The official synopsis teases: "From Calderwood’s last breath to the jury’s final verdict, Showtrial introduces us to the charismatic and cocky police officer Justin Mitchell (Michael Socha); Sam Malik (Adeel Akhtar), an anxious defence solicitor with a reputation for winning lost causes; DI Miles Southgate (Joe Dempsie), brought in from a neighbouring force to investigate; and Leila Hassoun-Kenny (Nathalie Armin), a driven CPS lawyer leading the case against the accused.
"As public outrage reaches fever pitch, the series asks what happens when a trial is dominated by cultural divisions, and if the truth is ever clear cut. Is a fair trial even possible when tensions are riding so high?"
Showtrial Series 2 trailer
Cast of Showtrial series 2
The second season of Showtrial is led by Adeel Akhtar and Michael Socha.
Adeel Akhtar starred in Sherwood series one back in 2022, in which he won the BAFTA for Best Actor and Fool Me Once, which became Netflix's most-watched show in the first half of 2024. In Showtrial, he plays Sam Malik, who, despite having an anxious disposition, has a reputation for winning lost causes.
Michael Socha will be playing Justin Mitchell, a cocky police officer who is accused of murdering the climate change activist. You may recognise Michael from This is England, Being Human and The Gallows Pole.
Other cast members include Nathalie Armin (Unforgotten, Too Close, A Little Life), Joe Dempsie (Skins, Game of Thrones, This is England) and Fisayo Akinade (Heartstopper, Banana, The Crucible).
BAFTA-winner Francesca Annis (Flesh and Blood, Home Fires), Tom Padley (Silent Witness, The Lost Pirate Kingdom), Kerrie Hayes (Tin Star, The Responder) Barney Fishwick (Living, The Buccaneers), Nina Toussaint-White (Witness Number 3, The Sister, Bodyguard), Zoe Telford (Men Only), Ali Khan (A Haunting in Venice, Red Rose), Daniel Kendrick (Inside Man, Our World War), Frankie Wilson (Cradle to Grave, Against the Ice), Anna Próchniak (The Tattooist of Auschwitz, Baptiste), Anna Wilson Jones (Victoria, The Jetty), John Light (Around the World in 80 Days), Aidan McArdle (Spy/Master), Daisy Badger (The Sandman, A Gift from Bob), Flora Montgomery (Endeavour, The Crown), Pearce Quigley (Detectorists, In the Dark), John Marquez (Doc Martin, In the Club, Death in Paradise) and Anna Healy (Mother’s Day) also star.
Is Showtrial based on a true story?
The programme is not based on any real-life cases, despite it's realistic nature. Series one, however, does fictionally represent how a person’s right to a fair trial can be endangered through prejudice, the press, social media and politics.
Does it follow on from Showtrial series one?
It seems that series 2 of Showtrial is a completely different story to the first instalment, although it contains similar themes.
Series one followed the case of a missing young woman named Hannah Ellis, and Talitha Campbell, an entrepreneur's daughter, was the lead suspect.
How many episodes of Showtrial will there be?
Just like series one, there will be five, hour-long episodes of Showtrial in total.
Where is Showtrial filmed?
Filming for Showtrial season 2 began on location in Belfast back in November 2023. Additional filming took place in the seaside city of Brighton.
When is the Showtrial season 2 release date?
You can watch Showtrial on BBC iPlayer from Sunday 6th October 2024, where all episodes will be available. Alternatively, each episode will air every Sunday night on BBC One at 9pm (from the 6th October), concluding on the 3rd November 2024.
Series one of Showtrial is on BBC iPlayer now.
Arabella Horspool is a Commercial Content Writer for Yours at Bauer Media. She's a bookworm who is passionate about TV, film and theatre. She enjoys cooking, scrapbooking, playing board games and spending time with her pet dogs, tortoise and chickens.