'Blue Lights' Season 2 Lands June Premiere on BritBox
Nathan Braniff as Tommy Foster and Katherine Devlin as Annie Conlon in 'Blue Lights' Season 2
Two Cities Television/BBC
The BBC's new cop dramady, Blue Lights, was a surprise hit when it debuted in the U.K. in 2023. Set in the Belfast frontline response unit, the series' first order of business was always going to have to square convincing its audiences to watch a piece of pro-police television in one of the most notoriously corrupt branches of U.K. policing. The decision to focus on three rookie constables — starting with middle-aged Englishwoman Grace (Siân Brooke) looking to remake her life after twenty years of child-rearing — and then introducing the younger Annie (Katherine Devlin) and sweetheart Tommy (Nathan Braniff), turned out to be the way to go.
By making the series about the new blood coming in to replace and educate the older, jaded, hardened vets who lived through the Troubles (embodied by Richard Dormer as seasoned officer Gerry Cliff), the series managed to nod towards the more enlightened, recalibrated ideas of whether glorifying law enforcement is really the job of our entertainment media and yet do just that. The resulting ratings were such that the BBC Director of Drama did something nearly unheard of for the BBC, and renewed Blue Lights through Season 4 before Season 2 had even debuted.
BritBox was already signed on to the Blue Lights bandwagon before that announcement came, having picked up Seasons 1 and 2 at the end of 2023. With new faces and a new community angle for our rookies to deal with in Season 2, the drama isn't about to let up either.
Here's the synopsis for Season 2:
Grace, Annie and Tommy are growing up fast as police officers, but nothing can prepare them for the turmoil they face every day. It’s a year since the fall of the McIntyre crime gang and the vacuum has been filled by rival gangs, all competing for dominance. Constable Shane Bradley is drafted in to help, but his motivations are unclear. Tommy is dangerously seduced by the world of intelligence policing, while Grace struggles to deal with her son’s absence, and growing feelings for fellow officer Stevie. As a young loyalist threatens to take over the city, the officers face a major gangland feud – culminating in a violent and devastating confrontation.
Brooke, Devline, and Braniff return alongside Martin McCann as Stevie Neil, Joanne Crawford as Helen McNally, Andi Osho as Sandra Cliff, and Hannah McClean as Jen Robinson. Season 2 additions feature Frank Blake (Sanditon), Seamus O’Hara (An Irish Goodbye), Seána Kerslake (Bad Sisters), Craig McGinlay (COBRA), and Dan Gordon (Bloodlands). Blue Lights' supporting cast also includes Paddy Jenkins (Grace & Goliath), Desmond Eastwood (In the Land of Saints & Sinners), Andrea Irvine (Dead Shot), Aoibhéann McCann (Harry Wild) and Abigail McGibbon (The Lovers).
Blue Lights is co-created, written, and directed by Declan Lawn and Adam Patterson and co-created and produced by Stephen Wright (Two Cities Television) and Louise Gallagher (Gallagher Films). Nick Lambon executive produces for the BBC. Lawn and Patterson helm Episodes 1-3, while director Jack Casey helms Episodes 4-6, with Amanda Black as producer.
Blue Lights Season 2 will premiere on BritBox on Thursday, June 13, 2024, with two episodes, and will follow the next two Thursdays, with two episodes each, through the beginning of July.
