Hit ’40s-set detective drama with Jason Watkins gets first look at season 2 and new cast

Booksish season two has dropped first-look pictures for the new season following the recent wrap on filming.

The Mark Gatiss-fronted period drama, which completed on-set in December 2025, shared a glimpse of what fans can expect from the upcoming season, including a first-look at Jason Watkins in the new guest-star role of Harold Sneed.

Starring alongside Bridgerton star Polly Walker’s Trottie Book and Connor Finch’s Jack Blunt, Gatiss stars as bookshop owner Gabriel Book, who becomes embroiled in crime solving in 1946-set London.

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Book is set to delve deeper into the “strangest of crimes and the knottiest of murders” (via a press release) for season two as his work aiding the police in their investigations becomes more involved. The synopsis reads: “In the second series, Book investigates the world of spiritualism when he’s asked to help solve the mysterious case involving medium Harold Sneed (Watkins).

“Off Savile Row, Bliss asks Book to help in a puzzling murder at a gentleman’s outfitters – the elderly tailor Maxie Kleinmann (Corduner) is keen to confess to the murder, but the evidence doesn’t quite stack up and points to something much more complex and sinister.”

It continues: “Book and Jack are sent to the seemingly charming German village of Würl by the mysterious ‘E’ (Callow) to thwart a thieving Duchess (Richardson) at Christmas time. However, festivities take a deadly turn when Book and Jack uncover secrets of their own, past and present, in an ominous castle brimming with plausible murder suspects.”

UKTV

UKTV

The risks are evermore pressing for Book as the synopsis adds: “Book’s close association to the police continues to be not without its personal dangers and his lavender marriage with childhood best friend Trottie, is threatened by debonair Colonel Winters (Graves).

“Marrying post-war nostalgia with the reckless and life affirming atmosphere of the times, Bookish is a stylish period detective drama with a difference.”

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Celebrity Traitors star Ruth Codd is also set to guest star as India Flynn in the U&alibi series expected to air sometime in 2026.

Bookish’s first season debuted last year to an impressive reception from viewers, averaging views of 1.5million and going on to become U&alibi’s second highest performing premiere to date.

All six episodes of Bookish season one are available to stream via Sky, NOW and Virgin Media.

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TV writer, Digital Spy Janet completed her Masters degree in Magazine Journalism in 2013 and has continued to grow professionally within the industry ever since.  For six years she honed her analytical reviewing skills at the Good Housekeeping institute eventually becoming Acting Head of Food testing.  She also freelanced in the field of film and TV journalism from 2013-2020, when she interviewed A-List stars such as Samuel L Jackson, Colin Firth and Scarlett Johansson. In 2021 she joined Digital Spy as TV writer where she gets to delve into more of what she loves, watching copious amounts of telly all in the name of work. Since taking on the role she has conducted red carpet interviews with the cast of Bridgerton, covered the BAFTAs and been interviewed by BBC Radio and London Live. In her spare time she also moonlights as a published author, the book Gothic Angel.