Channel 5’s detective drama Ellis returns for season 2 with Sharon D Clarke and Andrew Gower reprising their roles as DCI Ellis and DS Harper
Channel 5’s detective drama Ellis returns for season 2 with Sharon D Clarke and Andrew Gower reprising their roles as DCI Ellis and DS Harper
Megan Nisbet Content Editor
11:33, 10 Mar 2026
Channel 5’s highly acclaimed detective drama, Ellis, returns for its second series.
The new run will see Sharon D Clarke and Andrew Gower return as DCI Ellis and DS Harper as they investigate a range of fresh cases across northern England.
The debut series, which broadcast in 2024, struck a chord with audiences who praised the detective drama and described it as the “best show since Vera. Sharon D Clarke and Andrew Gower have promised that season 2 will ” Sharon D Clarke and Andrew Gower have teased that series two will “make your head spin,” promising additional twists, turns and plenty of red herrings.
A synopsis for the second series states: “Fresh from her victories in series one, DCI Ellis is once again parachuted into failing cases across the north of England. With Harper at her side, she faces a new wave of fractured communities and suspicious deaths that test not only her forensic brilliance but her resilience.”
It continues: “The series takes them from a rural village, where the suspicious death of a beloved community leader exposes long-nursed resentments, to the industrial shadow of a stone works, where the death of a young woman reveals a hidden network of coercion and exploitation. Every case peels back layers of silence, ambition, and betrayal.” Here’s what you need to know.
When does Ellis start?
Ellis launches this week with the opening episode of series two, starting on Channel 5 at 9pm on Tuesday, March 10. The second episode will be broadcast the following night on Wednesday, March 11, at the same time on the same channel, reports The Mirror.
The series comprises four episodes in total, with the third and fourth instalments airing on Tuesday and Wednesday of the following week.
Ellis cast list in full
Sharon D Clarke, recognised for her work in Mr Loverman, Showtrial, Lost Boys and Fairies, and Rocketman, returns to her role as DCI Ellis. Meanwhile, Andrew Harper, familiar to audiences from The Winter King, Carnival Row, and Outlander, is back as her partner, DS Harper.
Discussing the evolution of Ellis and Harper’s partnership in series two, Sharon explained: “Ellis is learning to trust that Harper can be someone she can bounce ideas off. She’s realised that it’s great to have a partner to travel with, so she’s not always on her own. And she’s happy to have a partner and happy to have someone to bounce her ideas off of. Their relationship is growing, and you will see them coming together and having a laugh and sharing stuff, and her taking notice of the things that he says and taking them in and acting on them.”
The second series will also feature Charlotte McCurry returning as DC Kate Trent, whilst Allison Harding reprises her role as ACC Alison Leighton. The series also features an impressive roster of guest stars, including Poldark’s John Hollingworth, Deep Heat star Sasha Desouza-Willock, Gentleman Jack’s Joel Morris, Hollyoaks actor Niamh Blackshaw, Changing Ends actress Cariad Lloyd, Green Wing’s Keir Charles, and The Gathering’s Sonny Walker, all of whom feature in the opening two episodes.
Additionally, the final two episodes will showcase appearances from Downton Abbey’s Mark Addy, DCI Banks star Stephen Tompkinson, Coronation Street’s Summer Spellman, Masters of the Air star Sonny Ashbourne Serkis, The House of Eliott’s Judy Flynn, Happy Valley’s Jack Bandeira, EastEnders star Sophie Stanton and Endeavour’s Caroline O’Neill.
Where was Ellis filmed?
Despite being set in the north of England, Ellis was actually shot in Northern Ireland, with numerous cast members praising the “beautiful” locations for transporting audiences on a visual journey.
Discussing how filming in Northern Ireland influenced the second series, Sharon remarked: “It’s glorious. Costa del Belfast! I’m not going to lie, the weather is still brutal. I still find it brutal. But it is so verdant. And the fact that you can get everywhere so quickly. So you can be in the city centre, and then you can be in rolling hillsides within moments. It’s been an absolute pleasure seeing this countryside in all its gloriousness.
“We’ve been up Slemish mountain, which was brutal, but beautiful at the top. You can see the cows grazing, and there’s wind farms, and it’s just beautiful emeralds and limes and olives, there’s all manner of greens. We watched the fog rolling in, or what I thought was fog, but it turned out to be rain. We watched it come up and come towards us, and then it was over us, and then it rained horizontally and passed, and we watched the next bank come in, and that’s how the day was. But when it was clear, it was glorious. It was just glorious, watching sunsets and being able to breathe deeply and meditate in nature, getting around the countryside again and seeing what more delights Northern Ireland was going to bless us with.”
Andrew remarked: “It’s special. The landscape is amazing. It gives you everything you need. You’ve got the hills, the beaches, the industry, so it’s an amazing experience. I had never filmed in Northern Ireland or even been here before series one so it was a great experience for me to get to know not only the amazing infrastructure that they have for filming, but also to get to know Belfast and the beautiful landscapes of Northern Ireland.”
Ellis series 1 recap
The first series introduced audiences to DCI Ellis, parachuted in to lead investigations whilst encountering immediate pushback from local teams and showing little interest in conforming to their ways. However, in the second series, her relationship with DS Harper has “blossomed” after she lowered her defences.
Reflecting on the conclusion of the first series, Andre explained: “At the end of series one, DCI Ellis and DS Harper finally go out for a drink. It took a whole six hours of TV for them to have a drink together! In essence, this was a metaphor for Ellis to let Harper in just a little bit, just that smidge, and to basically make their working relationship official, as well as their off-work relationship. Because the trust has grown, you get to see them on a bit more of a personal level. This series, you get to see the duo work together in a real partnership.”
Ellis S2 starts Tuesday, March 10 and Wednesday, March 11 at 9pm on 5.
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