Will there be a Showtrial season 3?
Could the legal drama anthology be back to tell another story?
The second season of Showtrial is now available to stream in full on BBC iPlayer, with fans diving into the story of Justin Mitchell, a police officer accused of murdering a climate activist in a hit and run.
The series has so far followed an anthology format, with season 2 telling an entirely different story from the first, which starred Tracy Ifeachor and Céline Buckens.
But with some viewers already making their way to the end of season 2, can they expect the show to return to tell another story in a third outing?
Read on for everything you need to know about Showtrial season 3.
Will there be a Showtrial season 3?
We don't yet know whether Showtrial will be back for a third season, as the show has yet to be officially renewed.
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However, it certainly seems as though the intention is there from the production team, including those at World Productions and creator and showrunner Ben Richards.
Executive producer Simon Heath recently said at a Q&A and screening for the series: "We've got an idea for a third season, and a particular way into a murder file that would be very different and would require a different set of characters."
It seems that the decision now will likely hinge on the viewership for season 2. We will keep this page updated if we hear anything regarding the show's future from the BBC.
When could a potential Showtrial season 3 be released?
It's hard to say when a third season of Showtrial would be released, given that the series has not yet been officially renewed.
The gap between the first and second seasons was extensive - it took three years after the first season aired for the second to debut on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
However, given that it seems an idea for a third season is already in some stage of development, here's hoping season 3 could arrive quicker.
Regardless, it seems that the earliest a new season could air on BBC One and BBC iPlayer would be late 2025 – with a 2026 release date potentially seeming more likely.
What would a potential Showtrial season 3 be about and would any stars return?
Season 2 of Showtrial focused on an entirely different case to season 1, with no characters from the first run returning for the second. If the show does return for a third season, it seems likely that pattern would be repeated.
Creator Ben Richards recently explained that one of the reasons he decided to focus on new characters was for the sake of "basic realism", because it was unlikely the same lawyers would work on such a similar, high profile case again.
However, when asked at a Q&A for the series whether he would like to bring the characters from season 2 back, including Adeel Akhtar's Sam and Nathalie Armin's Leila, Richards said: "Probably you're better off asking Mr [Simon] Heath [executive producer] or Miss [Emma] Luffingham [executive producer] about this.
"I think that's a conversation to be had. I mean, the difficulty is always, without wishing to sound cheesy – I can see some of the other actors here who've been in it who made it brilliant – it's such an ensemble piece. That's the problem, it'd be hard to keep one (of them).
"And obviously the suspects have gone. And I love the suspects every time as well, and I'd like to see more of the suspects and the suspects have gone. But sometimes maybe that's just the thing, you’ve just got to just kill them and move on."
Heath went on to add that he would "never say never" when it came to bringing back previous characters, but stressed that the idea for season 3 they currently have would feature new characters.
On the idea of doing a spin-off with some of the season 2 characters, he said: "Maybe the BBC will commission both."
All in all, it seems unlikely that we will see any characters from either season 1 or 2 again, and instead it seems like we will follow a brand new case with new characters if the show returns.
Is there a trailer for a potential Showtrial season 3?
There isn't a trailer available for Showtrial season 3 yet, but if any new footage is released we will make sure to update this article in include it.
In the meantime, you can rewatch the season 2 trailer here.
Showtrial is available to stream in full now on BBC iPlayer.
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