Second series of drama 'Karen Pirie' has begun production in Scotland

ITV and World Productions have announced filming has commenced on the second series of cold-case murder drama Karen Pirie in Scotland.

The three part drama, based on author Val McDermid’s A Darker Domain and adapted by Emer Kenny of The Curse and Save Me Too will see the return of Lauren Lyle as the fearless young Scottish investigator Karen Pirie.

Also reprising their roles are Chris Jenks as DC Jason ‘Mint’ Murray, Zach Wyatt as DS Phil Parhatka, Steve John Shepherd as DCS Lees, Emer Kenny as River Wilde, and Rakhee Thakrar as Bel Richmond.

The series has been commissioned by ITV’s Head of Drama Polly Hill and Drama Commissioner Huw Kennair-Jones. Huw will oversee production on behalf of the broadcaster. Karen Pirie will air on ITV1 and be available for streaming on ITVX. World Productions, whose credits include The Pembrokeshire Murders, Line of Duty, and Malpractice are part of ITV Studios.  

In the present, Lauren Lyle’s Pirie will be joined by Saskia Ashdown as newcomer DC Isla Stark, James Cosmo and Frances Tomelty as Catriona’s parents, oil magnate Sir Broderick Grant and his ex-wife Mary, and John Michie as Fergus Sinclair, the father of Cat’s son Adam.

The cast also includes Julia Brown as Catriona Grant. She will be joined by Mark Rowley as Mick, Kat Ronney as Bonnie, Conor Berry as Andy and Stuart Campbell as Kevin. Jamie Michie will play young Brodie Grant, Madeleine Worrall will play young Mary Grant and Jack Stewart as young Fergus. The original investigation will be helmed by Thoren Ferguson as DI Anderson and Helen Katamba as DC Laurel Blair.

Season two centres on a 1984 case, when young heiress to the Grant oil fortune Catriona Grant is kidnapped at gunpoint with her young son, it’s assumed that the motivation is political. The huge investigation creates an uncontrollable press storm… but when the culprits unexpectedly fall silent, the case runs cold. Cat and Adam are never seen again.

Forty years later, when a man's body is discovered, Karen Pirie is assigned to reopen the case in complete secrecy. With the first key piece of evidence in decades, Karen must try to unlock one of Scotland's most infamous mysteries, whilst battling increasing media attention.