Bodyguard season 2 is hopefully one day happening on BBC One, but there's been only a few words on it here and there, leading to the fear that it may never happen.
But on a more positive note star Richard Madden was talking about the show as recently as last year.
Asked about it by extratv, Richard replied: "I don't know if there's a space for it, but we've always left the door open... I'm not really sure where I take that character, but as the years go by, I think that's what might make it interesting... to pick up with David Budd, you know maybe 6-7 years later and see what's happened in his life since."
The first series of the political conspiracy thriller created by Line of Duty's Jed Mercurio was a big hit with viewers in 2018 and became one of the biggest dramas of the decade, pulling in an audience of 11 million for the final episode.
Yet fans remain desperate to see Richard Madden reprise his role as Police Sergeant David Budd.
"Bodyguard is a big beast to put back together," said the show's producer Simon Heath, who's also the CEO of World Productions that oversees Bodyguard and Line of Duty in 2021. "I'm reasonably confident we will see it in due course."
We've been on the hunt for Bodyguard-related kompromat and here's everything we know about the highly-anticipated second series...
Bodyguard season 2 release date
Sources suggest the "creative process" to create season 2 has begun, but with production yet to start, it could well be a couple of years before we see what PS David Budd is up to.
When the production wheels finally start turning, it could take a long time for something to appear on screen and it could well be 2025 or even later before we see Bodyguard season 2 on our screens.
Back in 2018, Mercurio hinted that the franchise could eventually run to three or four series — but we'd settle for just one more season right now!
Well since it was revealed in 2021 that work had begun on Bodyguard season 2, we've not heard a whole lot else other than the fact that it is at least still on Richard Madden's mind and he hasn't ruled out a return.
Creator Jed Mercurio did at least make a reference to it in a tweet sent on April Fool's Day in 2022 tweet - with then Prime Minister Boris Johnson pictured next to David Budd.
Thrilled to finally be able to announce #Bodyguard Season 2 … pic.twitter.com/goXSIrfZzeApril 1, 2022
Bodyguard season 2 plot — what could happen?
*Contains spoilers for Bodyguard season 1*
The first series saw Police Sergeant David Budd assigned as the principal protection officer (PPO) for the ambitious Home Secretary Julia Montague (played by Keeley Hawes). Budd didn't agree with Montague's politics, yet the pair had an intense professional relationship that later turned into an affair...
Well, series two will obviously catch up on Budd as without Budd there isn't really a show. And as Richard Madden suggested it would jump in time to later in his life.
Jed Mercurio is notorious for playing his cards close to his chest when it comes to his shows and the new series of Bodyguard looks set to be no exception, but maybe we could see David Budd acting as a specialist protection officer for a member of the Royal Family or a foreign dignitary?
"I learned a lot from the success of Bodyguard. It was heartening to see how an audience would come to something that is fresh and original," says Mercurio.
"Bodyguard was just an original concept and people hit the ground running with it. I would love to do something in the next couple of years."
The second season also looks set to be the start of a new story, rather than the continuation of the tale we enjoyed so much back in 2018...
"There are things in place in series one that we can exploit dramatically further down the line," explains Jed. "But I haven’t done a lot of forward planning because it can be too disheartening if the series isn’t recommissioned.”
"You just don't know, so it ends up being something that is best done, in my view, retrospectively. If you find yourself in the fortunate position where you've got a second series, or a third, or whatever it is, and there is stuff from the past that can serve a function, then I think that's the best way to do it.
"I think the problem with putting things in the first season that have no relevance to the first season is that you can end up making something quite difficult to follow. It feels like things don't quite knit together and so you lose the pace and the narrative drive that you should be trying to go for with a thriller series."
Bodyguard season 2 cast
Game of Thrones star Richard Madden revealed in a 2018 interview that he was in talks with Jed Mercurio over the new series...
‘‘I’m going to meet Jed in a couple of weeks, to have a chat and see what’s in his brilliant brain ... So I’m like, what can happen next? You know, with David. Because he had a hell a couple of months there. Where do you go with this guy?"
But given it's now 2024 it's clear that getting a second series made hasn't been a priority!
Jed Mercurio has dropped a few hints in the past that we could see a new cast joining a handful of established characters, in a similar fashion to Line of Duty.
“We certainly weren’t the first to rotate casts in that way,” Jed said. “But Line of Duty established that it works very well. And audiences understand the concept."
Peaky Blinders and Gentleman Jack season 2 star Sophie Rundle could return as David's estranged wife, Vicky, while characters such as Commander Anne Sampson (Gina McKee), DS Louise Rayburn (Nina Toussaint-White) and DCI Deepak Sharma (Ash Tandon) could also be back.
Yet while there were several rumors that Hawes' character wasn't really dead following the end of series one, it seems unlikely she will return...
Where can I watch Bodyguard season 1?
All six episodes of Bodyguard season one are now available on Netflix. Sadly, it's not currently available on iPlayer.
Is there a Bodyguard season 2 trailer?
Not yet, but we'll sure to post it here when one lands. In the mean time, here's the trailer for the first series to get you back in the mood...
