FIRST LOOK: Fan favourite character returns for season 2 of popular NI detective drama

The first official images have been released of James Nesbitt back on the shores of Strangford Lough as the veteran detective with a secret.

The gritty detective drama Bloodlands is set to return to the small screen next month for its second series.

To whet the fan’s appetites for the scenes watched by millions, nine photographs from the upcoming episodes have been released.

They reveal that not only is Nesbitt returning to play the lead role of DCI Tom Brannick in his native Northern Ireland, but that Peaky Blinders star Charlene McKenna will also be back as his colleague DS Niamh McGovern.

Victoria Smurfit joins the cast in season two as Olivia Foyle, an enigmatic widow at the centre of Brannick’s latest case.

The first series set the scene with the murder of a crooked accountant threatening to unravel the threads to reveal Brannick’s identity as legendary assassin, Goliath.

Viewers were left to wonder what lengths Brannick will go to in order to keep his legacy intact.

The first series of Bloodlands launched with an average of 8.2 million viewers, and was Northern Ireland’s most-watched BBC drama launch on record.

The second series was filmed in Belfast and around Strangford Lough in Co Down.

The BBC and HTM Television production is produced by Christopher Hall and directed by Jon East and Audrey Cooke.

The second series of Bloodlands will air on BBC One and iPlayer this September.