Bodyguard’s series one finale became the most-watched television episode since records began – and now fans are keen to know whether the Bafta-winning thriller is coming back for a second series on BBC1.
Will Richard Madden return as David Budd? When can we expect the new episodes and what’s going to happen?
Here’s everything you need to know…
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When will Bodyguard series two be on TV?
While the BBC has not yet officially renewed Bodyguard for a second series, writer Jed Mercurio and lead actor Richard Madden are certainly keen for season two to happen.
Mercurio told RadioTimes.com in 2018 that he would “absolutely” do a second series, but if the following quotes from Madden are anything to go by, it’s going to be a while before the thriller returns to our screens…
“We’ve been talking about it and I spoke to Jed [Mercurio, the writer] about a month after the show had finished airing over in the UK and we sat and decided let’s give it at least a year while we work out how to do something better,” said Madden at an event in LA organised by Netflix, which streams the show internationally.
Seeing as the first series of Bodyguard ended in September 2018 and it hasn’t officially been renewed yet – it’s unlikely that a second season will go into production before the end of 2019.
How can I watch Bodyguard series one?
All six episodes of Bodyguard series one are currently available to watch on Netflix.
What happened in Bodyguard series one?
The six-part political thriller tells the story of bodyguard David Budd, who is assigned to protect controversial British home secretary Julia Montague.
Budd is a war veteran and is deeply mistrustful of politicians, especially those who support the conflict in the Middle East. So, when he is tasked with protecting the Home Secretary, Budd finds himself “torn between his duty and his beliefs”.
At first the focus of series one is on whether Budd can reconcile his personal views with his duty to protect Montague – however as the series plays out it soon becomes clear that the question of Budd’s loyalties is just the tip of the iceberg, and the show delves into themes such as terrorism and corruption in the police and secret services.
Here are a few links to our episode recaps and reviews from throughout the series…
Bodyguard season 1 episode summaries and reviews
Episode 1
- Bodyguard opening episodes sparks online debate about female job roles – and train times
- Bodyguard’s Home Secretary Keeley Hawes reveals how she learned to face down the real Andrew Marr
Episode 2
Episode 3
- 8 questions we have after that explosive episode of Bodyguard
- Bodyguard creator Jed Mercurio “thought long and hard” about revealing contents of THAT briefcase
Episode 4
- Bodyguard episode four produces another stunning plot twist
- 7 questions we have after Bodyguard episode four
- Bodyguard creator Jed Mercurio: there’s no such thing as a “can’t-die” character
Episode 5
- 9 critical questions we have after Bodyguard episode 5
- Who is Chanel in Bodyguard – and why has she returned now?
Episode 6
- Bodyguard series finale – live recap and reaction
- Bodyguard’s action-packed series finale – explained
- Bodyguard episode 6 review: was the season 1 finale just too absurd?
What could happen in Bodyguard series two?
In the closing scenes of series one, Budd finally agrees to go to therapy for his PTSD – and series star Madden reckons the war veteran needs a break, revealing that a second season could be set up to two years in the future.
“A couple of things,” said Madden. “You cannot jump into it. David Budd definitely needs a vacation after that. He’s not going to go back to work, is he?
“And also he’s the most famous man in London because of what happens at the end of episode six. He couldn’t just go straight back into work.
“And me and Jed both agree that there’s something much more interesting in, ‘Let’s catch up with him 18 months later, two years later after this has happened and say, ‘Where is he now? What’s happened to him?’’”
Who could be in the cast of Bodyguard series two?
**WARNING: SPOILERS FOR SERIES ONE**
If Bodyguard is renewed by the BBC, Madden – who won a Golden Globe for his portrayal of Budd – will almost certainly reprise his role, given the aforementioned discussions between him and writer Jed Mercurio about the future of his character.
Keeley Hawes, whose Home Secretary Julia Montague was infamously killed off half-way though the first series, is very unlikely to return for obvious reasons, as is Pippa Haywood, who played Budd’s corrupt SO15 boss Lorraine Craddock.
Speaking to RadioTimes.com at the National Television Awards, Haywood said of her involvement in series two: “You know what, there’s a lot of mystery around season one so there’ll be a lot of mystery around season two,” Tandon said. “Discussions are ongoing aren’t they… We’ll have to wait and see…
“No spoilers… But I think we can probably count me out.”
DCI Sharma actor Ash Tandon, meanwhile, told iNews: “The way the ratings have been, I’d love to be in the second series if it happens. We have to wait and see”.
And BBC journalists are already bidding for cameos in Bodyguard series two, after Andrew Marr, Laura Kuenssberg, Sophie Raworth and Simon McCoy were among those to feature in the first run.
Meet the full cast of Bodyguard series one here
from Radio Times http://bit.ly/2YFHdg1
