Granite Harbour renewed for season 2 with series leads returning

Filming for season 2 will kick off later this year across Aberdeen and other parts of Scotland, with the series renewal also marking the return of series leads Romario Simpson and Hannah Donaldson.

The series followed the story of Simpson's Royal Military Police veteran Davis Lindo who retrains for a position in the police force and has to quickly grapple with the complicated murder case of a local oil magnate in Aberdeen. In season 1, Lindo worked alongside his supervisor DS Lara Bartlett (Donaldson) and the pair soon found themselves at the centre of the case trying to figure out who the murderer actually was.

Well, both actors are set to reprise their roles with further cast announcements to be made in due course.

Speaking about his return to Granite Harbour, Simpson said: “I'm delighted to be returning to Scotland to film season 2 of Granite Harbour. I'm looking forward to reuniting with the original cast and collaborating with some new creatives.It’s another opportunity to learn more about Aberdeen, and take in some vital fresh air and open space."

Similarly, Donaldson commented: “Growing up as an aspiring young actress in the north east of Scotland I didn’t often see the landscapes I recognised as home or hear the accents of my friends and family on screen. I’m very proud to be a small part of bringing Granite Harbour to life.

"Series 2 is an excellent opportunity for us to delve further into Bart and Lindo’s relationship and the dynamics of the team. I can’t wait to get my necktie on and get back to work with the North East Murder Investigation Team.”

As for what to expect from season 2, well details about the upcoming series are sparse but we do know that the second season will follow Lindo and Bart as they're called to the harbour to investigate the origins of "a new crime wave" sweeping the city.

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The new season will be written by Rob Fraser (River City, Tin Star), Ciara Conway (River City, Holby City) and Writers Guild of Great Britain award-winner Jillian Mannion (River City, Death in Paradise).

But when can we expect the new season to land on our screens? Well, not for a while yet. With filming due to commence later this year, the BBC have confirmed that Granite Harbour will premiere on the BBC Scotland channel, followed by BBC One and iPlayer in 2024.

While crime drama fans may have initially compared the likes of Granite Harbour with long-running Scottish murder drama, Shetland, the Granite Harbour cast previously told RadioTimes.com and other press that the two series are rather different in tone.

Dawn Steele, who played DCI Cora MacMillan in season 1 said: "They’re quite different. This is pre-watershed. Shetland is a bit grittier. I wouldn't say they were that similar."

Bhav Joshi, who played AS DI Jaiyush Mallick, also said: What Granite Harbour has going for it is the specificity of the story. Of being about a soldier coming from the army and settling into life in Aberdeen as part of this scheme that retrains soldiers to then become detectives.

"That’s the point of difference between Shetland and this. It might have similarities, it might have differences, but I guess that’s for people to decide by themselves."

Granite Harbour season 2 will be released in 2024, with season 1 available to watch on BBC iPlayer now.

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