Ridley series 2 is finally here, with Adrian Dunbar’s freelance consultant for Copelton District Police Force returning for four more murder mysteries on the windswept Pennines moorlands.

(And yes, he’s still singing jazz in his downtime).

Series one aired way back in 2022, so fans have had some wait for the former detective to make another appearance.

Trust us, though, it’s worth the wait: read on for all the details on characters, episodes, plots – and guest stars.

What is Ridley about?

Ridley is a British crime show, set in rural Lancashire in the fictional district of Copelton. Its central character is Alex Ridley (Line of Duty star Adrian Dunbar), a respected, veteran Detective Inspector forced into early retirement on medical grounds. Specifically, he had a breakdown after his wife and daughter’s murders in an arson attack on the family home.

But after a recovery period, he rejoined the Copelton District Police Force as a freelance consultant. The show is inspired by real-life retired detectives re-joining police forces in consultancy roles at a time of increasingly over-stretched resources.

The other thing you need to know about Ridley is that he sings. A lot. Ridley is a jazz aficionado, who co-owns a jazz club, Marling’s, where he regularly croons on stage (usually Richard Hawley cover versions). And yes, it is actually Dunbar singing.

Are all the main regular cast members back for Ridley series 2?

Fans of the first series (and there were a lot of them, considering Ridley was ITV1’s fourth biggest new drama launch in 2022) will be glad to hear that all the main cast is back for the new series. These include:

Alex Ridley, played by Adrian Dunbar: Previously best known as Line of Duty’s Ted Hastings, Adrian Dunbar plays the more laidback, but no-less strong-willed, Alex Ridley. This series, having learnt who really killed his wife and daughter, he’s finally seeking professional help for dealing with the trauma.

DI Carol Farman, played by Bronagh Waugh: Carol took over Ridley’s job after his enforced retirement, but she respects him and is happy to continue working alongside him in his consultancy role. Waugh, whom plays Carol, was previously best known for playing larger-than-life maneater Cheryl Brady on Hollyoaks from 2009-2013 and the wife of Jamie Dornan’s serial killer in BBC thriller The Fall.

DCI Paul Goodwin, played by Terence Maynard: Ridley’s boss Goodwin has to keep a tight rein on his occasionally wayward and unpredictable consultant, but he knows what an asset he is to have around. You may remember Terence Maynard as DS Cleaver from the first season of Sherwood.

DC Darren Lakhan, played by George Bukhari: The tech-savvy member of the Copelton cop team, local lad Darren is also the least well paid, which may cause some issues this series.

Annie Marling, played by Julie Graham in Ridley series 2

Annie is an old friend of Ridley, who co-owns Marling’s jazz club with him. This series she finds a new man, Harry Bentham, who has his own ideas for the club. Ever-busy Julie Graham, who’s probably best remembered as Sheron Dawson in Benidorm and the Procurator Fiscal, Rhona Kelly, in five seasons of Shetland, plays Annie.

Dr Wendy Newstone, played by Georgie Glen: You may recognise Copelton District Police Force’s senior pathologist as the same actress who plays no-nonsense GP receptionist Millicent Higgins in Call The Midwife.

Geri Farman, played by Bhavna Limbachia: part-time lecturer in Social Sciences at Salford University, Geri is Carol’s wife, and mother to Jack and newborn baby Meadow. You may know Bhavna Limbachia from such roles as Rana Nazir/Habeeb in Coronation Street (2016-2019) and youngest sibling Alia Khan in Citizen Khan.

Jack Farman, played by Tareq Al-Jeddal: Teenager Jack is the only man in a household with his two mums and baby sister. Hormones, the after-effects of being held hostage at gunpoint in the last series, the lack of a father figure and a sudden love for infamous “bad boy” trainers Air Max 95s, should all be sounding teenage-rebellion alarms.

Are there any new regular characters this series?

There are a couple of new on-going characters to look out for.

Suzanne Packer plays Dr Samantha Larsson: Larsson, a psychotherapist, actually appeared in the final story of series one, when she was treating one of the suspects. She did offer to help Ridley with his issues at the end of that story, and this series we learn that he’s accepted that offer, as he deals head-on with the aftermath of his wife and daughter’s deaths.

Suzanne is very familiar from her long stint on Casualty as ward sister Tess Bateman (2003-2021).

John Michie plays Harry Bentham: Jewellery shop owner Bentham is on Ridley’s radar as a bit of a wheeler dealer, so Ridley is more than a little wary when Annie allows his charms to reel her in. But is he beginning to exert too much influence over the jazz club?

Bentham actor John Michie is a former resident of Coronation Street, where he played bad boy Karl Munro from 2011-2013 (he burnt down the Rovers Return and unplugged Sunita Alahan from her life support machine). Before that he appeared in 13 series of Taggart as DI Robbie Ross (1998-2010) and spent a few years at Holby City hospital as neurosurgeon Guy Self (2013-2016). Most recently he appeared in the cast of another ITV crime drama, Karen Pirie.

Is there a new plot arc for Ridley series 2?

There’s not a major new arc plot for the second series of Ridley, in terms of a major ongoing mystery, like the the truth about who murdered his wife and daughter in series one.

There are a few ongoing plot strands, though, including Ridley’s visits to his psychotherapist to deal with his emotional fallout over those deaths.

You also need to keep an eye on Carol and Geri’s son, Jack. The fact he’s relegated his tatty old Adidas trainers to boat-repairs duties and now wears expensive new Nike Air Max 95s is a clue there’s something going on (they’re the trainer of choice for young offenders!).

Then there’s Annie’s new man, Harry Bentham. Ridley doesn’t trust him, so why should we?

What are the stories about in series 2?

Series 2 of Ridley comprises four two-hour stories. Here are the brief synopses:

Ridley Episode 2.1: A Sleeping Tiger

Written by: Paul Matthew Thompson
Directed by: Noreen Kershaw

Ridley is using a secret informant to help the Copelton cops try to crack a crime ring. But when a suspected jewellery thief is dies after being let on bail, the fallout reveals some puzzling links between a stud farm, a dodgy local businessman, drug smuggling and a dark family secret.

Ridley Episode 2.2: The Hollow Tree

Written by: Julia Gilbert
Directed by: Isher Sahota

When the decomposed body of a woman who went missing six years previously leads to to the reopening of the case, Ridley insists they call in the inspector who originally worked on the case to help out – disgraced ex-copper Jean Dixon (from the series’ very first episode). But she’s having her own issues with a controlling new boyfriend.

Ridley Episode 2.3: Fool For Love

Written by: Michael Bhim
Directed by: Paul Gay

When a rich property developer cops it during an illegal rave on a building site, Ridley and the team face the murky world of county lines drug trafficking. The stakes have never been higher for certain people close to Ridley.

Ridley Episode 2.4: The Memory Jar

Written by: Michael Bhim
Directed by: Noreen Kershaw

When a woman with a history of mental health issues vanishes, her husband seems clueless about various revelations that the resulting investigation uncovers. Ridley and the team’s efforts come up against some locals who decide to take matters into their own hands, especially when they learn that there’s a sex offender in their midst.

Are there any well-known guest stars in Ridley series 2?

Here are some of the more familiar faces you’ll see pop up in guest roles in the second series of Ridley.

A Sleeping Tiger:

Christine Bottomley, who plays stud farm manager Katharine Penrose, previously appeared as Rachel Crossley in all six episodes of Sherwood series two, as Scribonia in the Sky Atlantic Roman empire drama Domina (2021-2023), and as Gwen in both series of Channel 4’s The End of the F***ing World.

John Henshaw, who plays Frank Stanford, the father of a murdered teen, was Ken Dixon, landlord of The Grapes in the sitcom Early Doors (2003-2004). You may also know him as station master Wilf Bradshaw in the BBC’s cosy 1950s medical drama Born and Bred (2002-2005).

Matt Bardock, who plays dodger haulage boss Terry Sansom, was paramedic Jeff Collier from Casualty between 1993 and 2014.

The Hollow Tree:

Ryan Gage, who, plays David Hadderly, the weirdly emotionless husband of a woman who went missing six years before, was King Louis XIII in the BBC’s The Musketeers (The Musketeers), and Alfrid Lickspittle in two of The Hobbit films – The Desolation of Smaug and The Battle of the Five Armies.

Kevin Doyle in Ridley series 2

Kevin Doyle, who plays Ross Enderby, the boyfriend of disgraced cop Jean Dixon, is very familiar from Downton Abbey, where he played Joseph Molesley, Matthew Crawley’s valet and later Downton footman, across all six series.

Playing his bother, Andy Hadderly, in the episode is Steven Elder, who had a long stint on the BBC’s daytime soap Doctors as Rev Gordon Clement, the love interest of receptionist Mrs Tembe (2013-2019).

Fool For Love:

Sudha Bhuchar, who plays Sarita Grant, matriarch of a powerful family business, was also Harry Vidree’s mother, Jyoti, in Virdee. She’s also managed an EastEnders and Coronation Street double whammy, appearing as Sonia Rahman on the Street in 2016, and as Meena McKenzie, sister to market trader Gita Kapoor, in the Square (1993-1996).

Another Virdee actor in this episode is Danyal Ismail. Here he plays Lewis Grant, Sarita’s son and brother of the murder victim, while in Virdee he was DS Khalil Amin.

Ellise Chappell plays the murder victim’s fiancée, Amelia Mellor… she was previously Morwenna in series three of five of Poldark.

The Memory Jar:

Maggie Steed, who plays cafe owner Celia Machin, is currently the new boss of the The Lyell Centre, Harriet Mavin, in Silent Witness, and years back was the wife of Richard Griffiths’s detective-restaurateur in the BBC comedy drama Pie In The Sky (1994-1997).

Ridley series 2 is airing on ITV1 on Sunday nights from 8pm, August 10. Ridley series 1 is available to watch on ITVX.