Samantha Bond, Jo Martin, Cara Horgan and Natalie Dew return to Marlow for the second instalment of The Marlow Murder Club, adapted by Robert Thorogood from his Sunday Times bestselling crime novels, writing alongside Lucia Haynes and Julia Gilbert.

Free-to-air channel DRAMA and UKTV Play to be renamed U&DRAMA and U, following the launch of masterband, U, this summer.

Praise from series one:

• Culture (Sunday Times) - "It's as bright and sunny as the Buckinghamshire countryside in July"
• Sun TV Mag - 4* "Suspenseful, warm and often very funny"
• Weekend (Daily Mail) - 4* "This isn't just another cosy crime drama"
• Closer - "This is one murder club we suggest you join!"

Tuesday 21 May 2024

UKTV today announced the return of the amateur sleuthing trio, Judith, Suzie and Becks, in the second series of The Marlow Murder Club (6x60') for U&DRAMA and U. The series is once again a co-commission with co-producer and US broadcaster MASTERPIECE and produced by Monumental Television in association with ITV Studios.

The first series, which aired on Drama and UKTV Play on 6th and 7th March 2024, saw record ratings of 2.7million* (Drama's best ever performance). This six-part series, which is set to start filming this summer, sees Robert Thorogood join forces with writers Lucia Haynes (Annika, Vera) and Julia Gilbert (Midsomer Murders, Ridley), who will write a murder mystery each that spans two-episode instalments. With three main cases in the series, episode one and two will be an adaptation of Robert's second book, Death Comes to Marlow, with the other episodes being brand new, standalone stories.

Life in the idyllic town of Marlow has just about returned to normal after the triple murder that rocked the community. But it's not long before retired archaeologist Judith Potts (Samantha Bond), Vicar's wife, Becks Starling (Cara Horgan), and dog-walker, Suzie Harris (Jo Martin) are called back into action, when a series of new unsettling crimes befall the local residents.

From a seemingly impossible murder inside the locked study of a sweeping mansion, to the mysterious case of a man murdered in the middle of a sleepy cul-de-sac with no connection to the town, and an unexpectedly brutal accident at the prestigious Marlow sailing club that quickly reveals itself to be something more sinister, there's no rest for our sleuthing trio. Navigating the delicate balance of Marlow society - from local aristocracy to the workers at the local boatyard, the pubs and cafes of the high street to a newly established archaeological dig - Judith, Becks and Suzie dig into all corners of Marlow life as they assist DCI Tanika Malik (Natalie Dew) in her official investigations.

The Marlow Murder Club S2 has been commissioned by Helen Perry, head of drama for UKTV, and ordered for Drama by Emma Ayech, channel director, and Hilary Rosen, director of commissioning. Executive producers for Monumental Television are Debra Hayward, Alison Owen and Alison Carpenter. Susanne Simpson is executive producer for MASTERPIECE. The series will be directed by Steve Barron and produced by Serena Cullen. Steve Barron and writer Robert Thorogood also serve as executive producers.

The Sunday Times bestselling Marlow Murder Club novels have now sold in excess of 350,000 copies and been translated into 24 territories. Robert Thorogood is hard at work on the fourth book, which will be published by HQ (a division of HarperCollins Publishers) in January 2025.

Helen Perry said: "Monumental Television and Robert Thorogood's female-led mystery thriller The Marlow Murder Club proved to be such a smash hit with viewers that we just had to bring it back for a second season. We're delighted to be re-joining Judith Potts and the gang for more fun and puzzle solving drama, and we know our viewers will love it too."

Emma Ayech added: "The Marlow Murder Club was our first original commission to air on Drama and has proven to be a huge hit for the channel. The intricate storylines and compelling characters have resonated with our audience, and it's great news that we can share more of that in series two, which promises more murders, suspense, and clever sleuthing!"

Debra Hayward, Monumental co-founder, said: "We loved collaborating with Robert on The Marlow Murder Club, and we couldn't have asked for a better cast to bring to life his unlikely amateur detectives. We are thrilled that the first series went down so well with audiences, and we can't wait to return to the charming town of Marlow for series two."

Susanne Simpson, executive producer for MASTERPIECE added: "We're so pleased to be working with all our wonderful partners on a second season of The Marlow Murder Club. It's been lovely to see the warm reception the first series received in the UK and we look forward to sharing it with our US audience later this year."

The Marlow Murder Club S2 is a brand-new UKTV Original commission and will air on U&DRAMA and stream on U in 2025, following the launch of U in the summer. ITV Studios will handle international distribution. UKTV recently announced the introduction of new masterbrand, U, which will see its free streaming service UKTV Play transition to U and its family of free-to-air channels become U&Dave, U&DRAMA, U&YESTERDAY, and U&W.

Stream all episodes of series one for free on UKTV Play.

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For more information, please contact:

Shannon Bulmer, Publicist, UKTV

Notes for Editors:

• Total consumption figure for episode one. Total consumption includes Ind 4+, all homes, 28-day TV & online, including pre-broadcast, and all same week repeats.

About Drama

Free-to-air channel Drama is passionate about bringing Britain the best quality drama. From period to contemporary, family to comedy, the channel is a treasure trove of well-loved classics and modern drama with stories for viewers to fully immerse themselves in.

With programmes including familiar favourites Call the Midwife, The Bill, New Tricks and Silent Witness, and brand new and exclusive hits Sister Boniface Mysteries, Whitstable Pearl and Signora Volpe, this is the channel where viewers can escape and indulge in a handpicked range of the nation's most celebrated TV dramas.

The channel's offering has also expanded in recent years with the UKTV Original TV adaptation of Robert Thorogood's hit novel The Marlow Murder Club. This two-part series stars Samantha Bond as no-nonsense, crossword-setter and wild-swimmer, Judith Potts, alongside Jo Martin, Cara Horgan and Natalie Dew.

About UKTV Play

UKTV Play is an on demand TV service providing instant access to shows from UKTV's free-to-air channels - Dave, W, Yesterday and Drama.

With the easy-to-use UKTV Play app you can browse and stream hundreds of shows for free via your computer, tablet or smart phone. You can also watch on the telly thanks to Freeview Play, Amazon Fire TV, YouView, Samsung TV, Apple TV, Freesat, NOW and Roku. If you're a Sky or Virgin Media customer, shows from other great UKTV channels - Gold, Alibi, and Eden - are also on the menu.

U will launch later this year - a new masterbrand that will unite its family of free-to-air channels and UKTV Play. In Summer, the move will see UKTV Play transition to U and UKTV's family of free-to-air channels will become U&Dave, U&DRAMA, U&YESTERDAY and U&W.

uktvplay.co.uk

About UKTV

UKTV has been at the forefront of branded television for over 25 years, entertaining the nation with programmes they love. Its leading brands - Dave, Gold, W, Drama, Alibi, Eden and Yesterday - span comedy, entertainment, natural history, factual and drama, and are delivered to audiences through UKTV Play, Freeview, Sky, Virgin Media, BT, TalkTalk, YouView, Freesat and Amazon Fire. The broadcaster is a significant investor in British creativity and is committed to working with new and established writers, directors and programme-makers.

UKTV is part of BBC Studios, the UK's most-awarded production company, a world-class distributor with international branded services, and a commercial subsidiary of the world's leading public service broadcaster, the BBC.

corporate.uktv.co.uk | press.uktv.co.uk | @uktvpress

About MASTERPIECE

Winner of 83 Primetime Emmys(R) and 18 Peabody Awards, MASTERPIECE has been essential Sunday night viewing for millions of fans for over 50 years. Susanne Simpson is the executive producer. Series funding for MASTERPIECE is provided by Viking Cruises, Raymond James, The MASTERPIECE Trust, and public television viewers. Produced for PBS by GBH Boston, MASTERPIECE is known for hits such as All Creatures Great and Small, Sherlock, Downton Abbey and Wolf Hall, and beloved classics such as Upstairs Downstairs, Prime Suspect, The Forsyte Saga and Poldark. For more information, please visit pbs.org/masterpiece and follow us on social media @masterpiecepbs.