The day has come! Annika, the popular detective show fronted by Nicola Walker, will be back on our screens tonight, in the prime Saturday night slot on BBC One at 9.10pm. It will also stream on BBC iPlayer at the same time.
The second season has already aired in the UK, in its premiere home at U&Alibi back in 2023, following the same release pattern as the first season. But if you’ve been patiently waiting for this second batch of episodes to drop on the BBC, or you just fancy a re-watch, now is your chance.
Annika follows DI Annika Strandhed (Walker) as she heads up the Marine Homicide Unit (MHU) to solve mysteries and murders along the Scottish coast. The crime series also stars Jamie Sives (also recently seen in Netflix’s police show Dept. Q) as DS Michael McAndrews, Katie Leung (Nightsleeper) as DC Blair Ferguson and Paul McGann (Bookish) as Jake Strathearn.
Fans are in for a treat with the second season, as critics praised its return and it currently has an 83% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. “Thank the Lord for Annika, which once again seemed to appear out of nowhere to restore one’s faith in TV drama,” wrote The Herald, while the Chicago Tribune said: “As police procedurals go, Annika is one of the better offerings…”
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The audience seems to have had a lot of good things to say too, with a few describing Annika as a “quirky” mystery that’s different than others in the genre. One branded the story “compelling”, and another called the show “endearing”. There was, of course, a lot of praise for Nicola Walker’s performance too.
Season two promises more puzzling and shocking crimes, but it’s also set to see a turbulent time for Strandhed’s personal life too, as she’s been keeping a family secret…
Annika season 2 debuts on BBC One on Saturday 2 August at 9:10pm. It will also be available on BBC iPlayer.
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TV Editor, Digital Spy Laura has been watching television for over 30 years and professionally writing about entertainment for almost 10 of those. Previously at LOOK and now heading up the TV desk at the UK’s biggest TV and movies site Digital Spy, Laura has helped steer conversations around some of the most popular shows on the box. Laura has appeared on Channel 5 News and radio to talk viewing habits and TV recommendations. As well as putting her nerd-level Buffy knowledge to good use during an IRL meet with Sarah Michelle Gellar, Laura also once had afternoon tea with One Direction, has sat around the fire pit of the Love Island villa, spoken to Sir David Attenborough about the world’s oceans and even interviewed Rylan from inside the Big Brother house (housemate status, forever pending).