Back to Life season 2 release date: cast, plot and latest news
Daisy Haggard's dark BBC comedy about a 30-something ex-convict returns for a second season, with filming now underway.
Fans of Breeders and Episodes star Daisy Haggard will be pleased to hear that Back to Life – her BBC Three comedy-drama – is returning to our screens this year with a long-awaited second series.
The series, written by Haggard and comedian Laura Solon, made its BBC iPlayer debut back in 2019 and follows Miri Matteson (Haggard), a woman in her thirties who arrives back home after serving an 18-year prison sentence and tries to rebuild her life.
With filming for series two currently underway in Kent, the dark comedy helmed by Fleabag producers Harry and Jack Williams will revisit Miri after the events of last series while two new characters arrive on the scene.
Here's everything you need to know about Back to Life series two.
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When is Back to Life season 2 on TV?
BBC Three renewed the comedy-drama for a second season back in November 2019, however an official release date has not yet been announced.
There is good news for fans still waiting for Miri Matteson's return – filming for the new series is currently underway in Kent, with BBC Three expected to air the episodes later in 2021.
Sharing the news on Twitter, star and creator Daisy Haggard wrote that Back to Life was finally returning to our screens.
"Delighted to finally get going on season 2!! And spoiler alert..MIRI HAS FOUND HER OLD CRIMPER !!" she tweeted on March 31st.
What is Back to Life season 2 about?
Season one followed Miri, a woman returning to live in the small town she grew up in after she finishes serving a 18-year prison sentence.
She returns home to live with her sexually frustrated mother (who's secretly been having an affair with Miri's now-married former flame, Dom) and recycling-obsessed father. Soon Miri gets a job at a local fish and chips shop and attempts to reintegrate herself into society and make friends – all the while coming to terms with the crime she committed one fateful night, which saw her childhood friend Lara plunge to her death. Facing mounting hostility from locals and accusations of a second murder, Miri isn't faced with an easy journey.
Speaking to RadioTimes.com ahead of season one, Daisy Haggard said: “The idea came from a fascination with how hard we are on a woman who’s done a bad thing in comparison to how we treat men, and an imagining of what leaving prison would be like, and how hard it would be to rebuild your life in your late thirties in a small town where you’ve done this thing.
“I know it doesn’t sound like a comedy, but I was thinking about the adult beginner aspect of that and all the things you hadn’t done and how hard it would be to start again.”
While Haggard hasn't shared much about the plot of series two, it's likely to explore the fallout from the events of series one's finale. In the last episode, we learnt that Mandy never visited Miri in prison as she'd actually been the one having an affair with Lara's father but told Lara it was Miri, leading to Lara's confrontation of Miri and her accidental death. Miri also discovered that her mother Caroline was having an affair with her childhood boyfriend Dom, who'd given her, and therefore her husband, an STD.
Series two will likely follow Miri as she comes to terms with these revelations, tries to move on with her life and sparks up a relationship with her neighbour Billy.
- For the latest news and expert tips on getting the best deals this year, take a look at our Black Friday 2021 and Cyber Monday 2021 guides.
Who stars in Back to Life season 2?
BBC Three has confirmed the cast for Back to Life, announcing that Breeders' Daisy Haggard (Miri), Utopia's Adeel Akhtar (Billy), Anne with an E's Geraldine James (Caroline), Harlots' Richard Durden (Oscar) and Doctor Who's Jo Martin (Janice) will be returning for series two.
Also reprising their roles in the upcoming series are Shetland's Jamie Michie (Dom), Killed by My Debt's Juliet Cowan (Tina) and The End of the F***ing World's Christine Bottomley (Mandy) – although it doesn't look as though Pls Like's Liam Williams is returning as chip shop owner Nathan.
There are some brand new additions to the cast for season two as well, with The Split's Meera Syal and Bottom's Adrian Edmondson joining the stellar line-up.
Is there a trailer for Back to Life season 2?
Not yet, but we'll keep this page updated with all new developments. Stay tuned.
Series 1 of Back to Life is available to stream on BBC iPlayer, with series 2 airing later this year. Take a look at what else is on with our TV guide.
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