Ridley lead Adrian Dunbar has been spotted filming on location in Derbyshire, with season 2 officially in production.
News of a second season was confirmed last year, and we know that Ridley season 2 will consist of four two-hour films, with Paul Matthew Thompson (Shakespeare & Hathaway), Julia Gilbert (Midsomer Murders), and Michael Bhim (Vera) writing.
While plot details for season 2 have not been confirmed, writers have teased that the bond between Ridley and his former mentee will be "tested", so we're sure there's plenty of drama to come.
In Ridley season 1, we followed Adrian Dunbar's character, the retired Detective Inspector Alex Ridley. When we meet him, he is an accomplished homicide detective whose career has been cut short as he’s been nudged into retirement after 25 years, which he wasn't happy about.
But, DI Ridley was contacted by his former mentee, Acting DI Carol Farman (Bronagh Waugh). She enlists her mentor as a police consultant on a complex and compelling murder case which takes a dark, unexpected turn, and the ITV drama was a huge hit among fans.
So it's good news, then, that it will return for season 2 and Adrian has been spotted filming on location, with the local paper Derbyshire Times reporting on the exciting news.
Confirming that filming was going ahead, Danny Newton location manager for ITV told the paper: "We filmed scenes in and around a narrowboat in New Mills, scenes in the canal path near Swizzles and on Hawthorne Industrial Estate and Albion Road."
He added: “Thank you for your cooperation which helped us achieve our filming goals. We worked closely with Creative England the necessary departments at Derbyshire County Council, Derbyshire Police as well as the Canal and River Trust to inform them of our scheduled activity. We appreciate that we are visitors and we very much enjoyed filming in the area.”
Behind-the-scenes images obtained by Derbyshire Times show Adrian on a boat and on set next to police vehicles, but right now we're not sure what to expect from the second installment.
Speaking about taking on the role of Ridley at the time, Adrian Dunbar said: "I don’t think I’ve ever headed into a production with more excitement and enthusiasm.
"As an actor, I know how rare it is to be given such a wonderful opportunity, and the combination of Polly Hill and Chloe Tucker at ITV and Jonathan Fisher at West Road Pictures means we are in both safe and creative hands."
Ridley season 1 is available on demand via ITVX.
