Gripping BBC Inspector Drama Set To Return For Series 2

It’s official: the BBC is working on a follow up to last year’s gripping crime drama Rebus, a thematic prequel to the character invented by Sir Ian Rankin and pursued over a whopping 25 novels. Filmed in Edinburgh and Glasgow, it’s not just Richard Rankin’s portrayal of the weary Inspector Rebus that compelled fans: these gothic cities lend themselves to an intriguing, suspenseful mood. And now the team is back in Scotland for a sequel series. Here’s everything we know so far about Rebus series 2.

John Rebus (RICHARD RANKIN). © Eleventh Hour Films/Mark Mainz

Rebus Series 2: Plot, Cast, Release Date & More

Last month, the first six-episode series of Rebus bagged three RTS Scotland awards: Best Drama, Best Writer for Gregory Burke and Best Director for Niall MacCormick. Did this seal the deal on Rebus series 2? Perhaps – though BBC Scotland’s head of commissioning says the team was already ‘blown away with the audience response to the new-look Rebus’, saying ‘bringing it back for a second series was always a priority’. It’s now full steam ahead on the sequel series, which will again be made up of six episodes and is slated for release in 2026.

‘After three wins at the RTS Scotland Awards 2025, we couldn’t be more thrilled to now share that we are reuniting with Ian Rankin’s celebrated Scottish detective, brilliantly portrayed by Richard Rankin, to bring a second series of Rebus to the BBC,’ says executive producer Paula Cuddy. ‘No doubt it’ll pack a punch and there’ll be some sardonic Rebus comments along the way. We can’t wait!’

John Rebus (RICHARD RANKIN). © Viaplay/ Eleventh Hour/Graeme Hunter

What Will Happen?

‘Season one of Rebus ended on a cliffhanger: only screenwriter Gregory Burke knows what happens next,’ says author and executive producer Ian Rankin mysteriously. ‘I’m hugely excited that season two will soon be with us. Rebus is back – mean, moody and as magnificent as ever!’

Rebus series 2 will take us back to the world of Sergeant John Rebus, who actor Richard Rankin describes as ‘intense, driven and a bit of a maverick’. He lives and works in Edinburgh, a city underpinned by a drug trade manned by violent criminals and plundered by the professional bourgeois world of law and finance, where police often fear to tread.

Release Date

Filming is yet to begin on Rebus series 2. We don’t expect it to debut this year; our fingers are crossed for 2026.

Rebus series 1 is available to stream on BBC iPlayer.

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