Baptiste season 2: release date, cast, how many episodes and latest news about BBC thriller

Viewers were gripped by the first episode, which saw a dishevelled-looking Baptiste return to our screens after suffering a family tragedy, but what's to come in the rest of the series? And how many episodes are there left?

Here's everything we know so far about Baptiste season two, including whether the drama will return for a third series.

Baptiste season 2 release date and time

Confirmed: Baptiste will begin on Sunday 18th July at 9pm on BBC One, with new episodes airing each Sunday. The whole season will also be available as a box set on iPlayer from the 18th.

Filming originally began in Budapest in February 2020, but – given that date – you can probably guess that production was delayed by the coronavirus pandemic.

How many episodes is Baptiste season 2?

There are six episodes in Baptiste's second series, all of which are available to stream on BBC iPlayer.

Baptiste season 2 trailer

Here's a brief trailer to get you excited for season two:

What will happen in Baptiste season 2?

Beware of spoilers for Baptiste series one...

Baptiste's first series ended with the shocking revelation that Julien's long-lost biological son Niels was a corrupt cop helping a criminal gang.

In the final showdown, Niels killed his own mother but was ultimately apprehended and sent to prison for his crimes.

The second series will deal with the psychological toll that such a dark turn of events has on Baptiste, but will also see him take on another troubling case.

Here's the BBC's synopsis: "When British Ambassador Emma Chambers’ (Fiona Shaw) whole family disappears whilst on a skiing holiday in the Hungarian mountains, Baptiste immerses himself into Emma’s world, committed to finding her husband and two sons. However, when the case turns into something far more brutal and desperate, Julien must navigate a Hungarian police force he doesn’t trust and unrelenting media interest who are hungry for information on such a high-profile international case.

"Julien must remain rational in the face of chaos in order to find Emma’s family. Will he be able to solve his most complex case yet?"

Who is in the cast of Baptiste season 2?

Of course, Tchéky Karyo will be back in the lead role as detective Julien Baptiste, for whom life is not getting any easier.

He said: "I am so excited and proud of [creators] Harry and Jack for their new audacious story in Hungary. I can’t wait to prepare for Julien’s new adventure and for the emotions that he is about to go through. I’m looking forward to sharing this incredible journey with an amazing cast."

Fiona Shaw (Killing Eve) is confirmed to be joining the cast as British Ambassador Emma Chambers, whose family mysteriously disappear in the mountains.

It is unclear at this point which other cast members will be returning for series two, as Baptiste's criminal son Niels (Boris Van Severin) is behind bars, while his wife Celia (Anastasia Hille) is said to be growing ever distant.

Jack Williams also previously told RadioTimes.com: “We’d love to bring Niels back in some form. Whether that’s for a scene or a whole story, we don’t quite know yet."

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Will Baptiste end with season 2?

Despite the character's popularity, the writing duo behind Baptiste have said that series two is the detective's last outing.

Speaking at an RT Q&A for series two, co-creator Jack Williams said that Baptiste wouldn't be returning for series three, citing that they didn't want him to "become another police officer".

"I think what we've had the joy of doing every year is telling big, bold stories that give him a proper journey... And I think we began to worry – does it become a formula? Do we suddenly make him just another cop?

"And we thought, well that aside, let's just tell a great story for him and a great story for an actress that we've wanted to work with forever [Fiona Shaw] and the thing came together and as we wrote it, we started to realise that if we did this, we wouldn't get to do another one."

He added: "We love this show, we love Tchéky, we've been working together a long time but it's about doing the right thing for the show and the character, and not going, 'Hey, we'll be back next year with more crazy adventures – keep watching until you don't!' It's something great that we all love, that we're proud of."

Tchéky Karyo did previously say that he'd be interested in playing Baptiste again, telling RadioTimes.com and other press during a set visit: "I mean, if I'm in good shape, why not?"

Maybe this isn't the last we'll see of Karyo as Julien Baptiste...

While you're waiting for Baptiste season 2, take a look at the rest of our Drama coverage or check out our TV guide to find out what's on television this week.