Ridley, the twisty detective drama starring Adrian Dunbar, is back on television tonight with its second season.
The ITV series sees the Line of Duty star portray Alex Ridley, a retired detective who is brought back into the police force as a consultant, with the team utilising his extensive knowledge to solve perplexing cases.
Following a successful debut season in 2022, the drama was promptly renewed by ITV, with the second season premiering in the US back in September. Now, after a wait of nearly a year, Ridley is finally back on the small screen in the UK at 8pm on ITV1.
The two-hour episode, titled ‘A Sleeping Tiger’, is the first of four feature-length instalments, with the action following the detective as he investigates a jewellery heist that ends up being a murder case.
The following three episodes will likely air at the same time each Sunday, though impatient – or merely enthusiastic – fans will be able to stream the second season in its entirety from Sunday on ITVX.
ITV
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In addition to Dunbar, the stacked cast for the series includes Bronagh Waugh, Terence Maynard, Georgie Glen, George Bukhari, Julie Graham and Bhavna Limbachia, with Aidan McArdle and Jacquetta May appearing in supporting roles.
Dunbar had previously spoken about the significance of his character’s backstory, which saw him initially leave the force following the death of both his wife and daughter, with the detective still feeling the lingering effects of his trauma.
Lauding the show’s representation of mental health struggles in males, Dunbar exclusively told Digital Spy: “I think a lot of men feel that they should just be able to kind of deal with stuff on their own and bury it and somehow work their way through it.
ITV
Related: Line of Duty’s Adrian Dunbar says what we’ve all been waiting to hear about BBC show’s return
“But it takes a big toll on yourself. So you’ll see him [Ridley] crumble quite a bit, especially when he’s on his own. He finds it very difficult, and I suppose getting back to work is the start of a healing process.”
“I think people should [take that away]. Isolation is a big deal, especially in rural areas. A lot of men in particular who are isolated if they’re alone. They do suffer greatly,” added the actor, who said that his character has a sense of “empathy” for other people.
Ridley airs at 8pm on ITV1 while also streaming on ITVX.
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Reporter, Digital Spy George is a freelance writer who specialises in Movies and TV. After graduating with a degree in Film Studies and Journalism from De Montfort University, in which he analysed the early works of Richard Linklater for his dissertation, he wrote for several websites for GRV Media. Â His film tastes vary from blockbusters like Mission: Impossible and John Wick to international directors such as Paolo Sorrentino and Hirokazu Kore-eda, and has attended both the London and Berlin film festivals.
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