'The Good Ship Murder' Shifts to Weekly on BritBox for Season 2

The past decade has seen a torrent of British shows cross the pond after years of being relegated to PBS, BBC America, and the occasional co-production with AMC or HBO. However, too much of a good thing can lead to a different kind of problem, namely, which shows deserve the attention? It's a microcosm of the entertainment industry's broader issue of too many shows and insufficient marketing. There are, of course, shows that turn up where there's no question of whether it will hit, Wolf Hall, for example, or the upcoming Patience. However, sometimes streaming services miss the hit when it arrives, like BritBox did with The Good Ship Murder.

The "duo solves crimes on a glamorous cruise ship" procedural series debuted on Channel 5 in 2023 without any American co-producer, and starring actors better known for their turns in U.K. daytime soap operas than shows aired in the U.S. Although it's by the producers behind what we're not calling "The Para-verse" which had produced three "solves crimes on a beach" hits so far, the cast and the Channel 5 factor made it less appealing to U.S. streaming services, and when BritBox decided to bring it over in August 2024, it debuted the series as a binge, a silent designation it was not a "major" series as BritBox had recently begun a form of weekly release for it's "high profile" gets.

A year later, things have undergone some more radical changes. Channel 5 is now the new hot network producing contemporary dramas for American streaming services to import, and The Good Ship Murder was blessed with its first holiday special, a rare feat for a series that only just debuted. It also secured a commission for two more seasons, with Season 3 expected in 2026. With the series now showing all signs of staying power, Season 2 will be upgraded and follow a one-episode-per-Thursday schedule, making it BritBox's weekly, sunny, summery dose of death.

Here's the synopsis for The Good Ship Murder and what to expect in Season 2:

Set aboard a luxury cruise liner touring everyone’s favourite Mediterranean holiday hotspots, bubbling with intrigue, rivalries, glamour, money, and class divides. However, new cabaret singer, Jack Grayling, soon discovers there are also more sinister elements below the surface. On a cruise out of Southampton, Jack meets newly promoted First Officer Kate Woods; fierce and ambitious, she’s a woman in a man’s world with plenty to prove. After a passenger is found murdered in their first port of call, Kate’s dream of her own command is thrown into jeopardy, and Jack finds himself thrust back into his former life as a detective.

Season 2 finds Kate Busy revising for her upcoming Staff Captain interview, but pleased to be asked by Jack to the opera in Rome – the stage set for them to make their romance official... until Jack finds himself torn between Kate and an unexpected guest, his 18-year-old daughter, Mia. 

Shayne Ward (Black Ops) stars as former detective-turned-cabaret-singer Jack Grayling, and Catherine Tyldesley (Protection) as his partner-in-crime-solving (and love interest) First Officer Kate Woods. Also returning for Season 2: Zak Douglas (Lokcerbie: A Search for Truth) as Jamil Al-Rashid, Geoffrey Breton (The Couple Next Door) as Piers de Vreese, and Yuna Shin (The Marlow Murder Club) as Dr Sharon Tan.

Season 2 officially brings aboard James Barriscale (Hijack) as Captain Richard Marlowe after introducing him in the 2024 Christmas special as the replacement for Vincent Ebrahim (Starstruck) as Season 1 Captain, Gregory Jameson. The ship will also see the exit of Claire Sweeney (Benidorm) as Cruise Director Beverley Carnell, in her place Ross Adams (The Gemma Factor) boards as Colin Smallwood. New characters for Season 2 include Kiza Deen (Young Wallader) as head of security, Frankie Johnson, and Bex Smith (Britianna) as Cassie Grainger.

Paul Matthew Thompson (Death in Paradise) and Mike Benson (The Ex-Wife) teamed up to create The Good Ship Murder, which was an original idea from Ben Frow. Thompson is the lead writer on the eight-episode series; Season 1 writers Joe Ainsworth, Andrew Bayliss, Suzanne Cowie, Lucia Haynes, and Mark Stevenson all return, with Rob Kinsman and Kat Rose-Martin joining for Season 2. Director Steve Hughes once again helms episodes, this time splitting helming duties with Merlyn Rice.

The Good Ship Murder Season 2 will debut on BritBox on Thursday, June 26, 2025, with one episode a week to follow through the end of August.