Adrian Dunbar is returning to our screens for Ridley season 2, alongside Bronagh Waugh as DI Carol Farman and some of our other season 1 faves.
Line of Duty star Dunbar has spoken out on how it feels to be back solving crimes with the old gang.
“Well, coming back, of course, was a wonderful experience, because the first series did so well. It was really well-received," he said. "There's that feeling when you get a second series, there's a really good buzz. We felt great about coming back and meeting everybody again, and we had the same crew, so it was fantastic.”
This is everything we know about Ridley season 2.
Ridley season 2 plot
The official synopsis for Ridley season 2 reads: "Alex Ridley is a charismatic former Detective Inspector, who retired from the police after years of dedicated service having lost his wife and daughter in a devastating arson attack on their family home. In this thrilling crime series, Ridley has returned to the police force as a police consultant, joining forces with his former protégée, DI Carol Farman, now at the helm of investigations.
“Series two sees Ridley return to our screens, investigating crimes which will take him from the atmospheric moors, investigating a historic murder, to the pulsating beats of an illegal rave. Ridley must face formidable challenges as he works tirelessly to solve the most intricate and perplexing cases.”
This season, Ridley finds himself working on the case of the murder of Ryan, a young man who is killed just a few hours before being released from custody.
Ridley season 2 cast
Returning cast of Ridley season 2 includes Adrian Dunbar as Alex Ridley, Bronagh Waugh as DI Carol Farman, Terence Maynard as DCI Paul Goodwin, Georgia Glen as Dr. Wendy Newston, George Bukhari as DC Darren Lakhan, Julie Graham as Annie Marling and John Michie as Harry Bentham.
New cast members include Chloe Harris as Tash Walker, Kaya Moore as Callum Douglas, Kerim Hassan as Liam Manley, John Henshaw as Frank Stanford and Kriis Bohn as Rebecca Bayling.
Who is Alex Ridley?: A retired police officer who worked for 25 years before retiring to a jazz bar, Ridley is our hero who returns to the force. Ridley has gone through it — prior to the start of the first season, his wife and daughter were killed in an arson attack. And his trauma from their deaths looms over his work. He takes an unconventional, sometimes controversial approach to his work, often becoming overly emotionally invested in his cases.
What else has Adrian Dunbar been in?: Dunbar is instantly recognisable as Ted Hastings from Line of Duty. You may have also seen him in The Crying Game, Blood, Ashes to Ashes, My Left Foot, Nick Nickleby and Silent Witness.
Who is DI Carol Forman?: Carol was Ridley's young protege before his retirement — when he returns to the force, he works alongside her to help her solve her cases. She's fiercely loyal, outspoken, no nonsense, and a warrior for justice. She's married to Geri and they share son Jack.
What else has Bronagh Waugh been in?: You might remember Waugh as Sally Anne Spector in The Fall or from her roles in The Stolen Girl, Des, Derry Girls, Unforgotten, Our House, The Suspect, Viewpoint, Des, Unforgotten and Midsomer Murders.
Who is DCI Paul Goodwin?: Goodwin is the calm, steady one at the police force. He serves as Carol's superior and, with very different methods to Ridley and his protege, they often butt heads.
What else has Terence Maynard been in?: Maynard has been cropping up on British TV for decades — you may have seen him in Coronation Street, Sherwood, The Witcher and Edge of Tomorrow.
Who is Dr Wendy Newston?: Chief Forensics Officer and total badass, Wendy is whipsmart and just a little too obsessed with her morbid job — which makes her very good at it.
What else has Georgia Glen been in?: Glen stars in Call The Midwife as Miss Higgins, but she's also made her way around other British TV hits, too, like Waterloo Road, The Crown and Hetty Feather.
Who is DC Darren Lakhan?:
What else has George Bukhari been in?
Who is Annie Marling? Of course, Ridley needs a friend and confidante, and that person is Annie Marling. Annie was the best friend of his late wife and was the godmather of his daughter Ella, which means she's basically family. She also owns the jazz bar that Ridley is so very fond of.
What else has Julie Graham been in? You may know her as Ravio from Doctor Who or as Ruby White from The Sarah Jane Adventures. Other roles include The Bletchley Circle, This City Is Ours, Penance and Queens of Mystery.
Who is Harry Bentham? Local businessman Harry Bentham begins to get close to Annie. He's charming, debonair and, it seems, a bit of a threat to Ridley.
What else has John Michie been in? You may have seen him in Taggart, Nessie, or Karen Pirie.
Who is Tash Walker? When we first meet Chloe, she's just a young girl working at her mother's pub — but as the story unfolds, it's clear that she's more involved than we initially think.
What else has Chloe Harris been in? You may have spotted her in The Village, The Trial of Christine Keeler, The Spanish Princess and Nolly.
Who is Callum Douglas? A suspect in Ridley and Carol's new case.
What else has Kaya Moore been in? Moore played Phoenix Taylor in Waterloo Road. He also had a key role in the hit Adolescence this year.
Who is Liam Manley? Kerim is another suspect who, we soon learn, is somehow connected to Tash.
What else has Kerim Hassan been in? You may have seen him in My Fault London, Champion and Obsession.
Who is Frank Stanfod? Frank was Ryan's grandfather.
What else has John Henshaw been in? You may know him from Stanton Blues, Early Doors, Born and Bred, and Heartbeat.
Who is Rebecca Bayling? Rebecca joins the show this season as the formidable lawyer working on Ryan's case.
What else has Kriis Bohn been in? Law & Order UK, Waterloo Road, and Eastenders.
Ridley season 2 release date
Ridley season two premiered on Sunday 10 August at 8pm on ITV1. Episodes will air weekly at the same time each week after that, and all four episodes of season 2 are available on ITVX.
