Advanced Television

UKTV wraps filming on Bookish season 2

January 26, 2026

Following the recent wrap on filming for the second season of hit U&alibi drama Bookish (6×70’), UKTV has unveiled a first look at what’s in store for the guest stars and original ensemble. Star of Celebrity Traitors, Ruth Codd also joins the line-up as India Flynn.

Bookish is created by Emmy Award-winning writer Mark Gatiss and is a production of Eagle Eye Drama (an ITV Studios Company). As international distributor, Beta Film is handling the world sales, with PBS Distribution holding North American rights. The series is executive produced by Jo McGrath and Walter Iuzzolino for Eagle Eye and Helen Perry for UKTV. Carolina Giammetta returns as director and executive producer alongside producer Jake Harvey, with episodes written by Gatiss, Matthew Sweet and Ian Hallard. The second season of Bookish will air on U&alibi later this year.

The first season, which aired last year on U&alibi, saw an incredible launch – averaging 1.5 million viewers (TC) and exceeding benchmarks to land as the channel’s second highest performing premiere ever.

Gatiss stars as Gabriel Book, alongside Polly Walker as Trottie Book and Connor Finch as Jack Blunt. The series also stars Elliot Levey as Inspector Bliss, Blake Harrison as Sergeant Morris and Buket Kömür as Nora. The series also sees the return of Rosie Cavaliero as Ada Dredge, Gerard Horan as Mr Baseheart, Nadia Albina as Dr Calder and Jonas Nay as Felix.

Along with Codd, season two guest stars include Jason Watkins as Harold Sneed, Miranda Richardson as Duchess Alberta, alongside Simon Callow as ‘E’, Rupert Graves as Colonel Reggie Winters, Claire Skinner as Mrs Calthrop, Youssef Kerkour as Yusuf, Allan Corduner as Maxie Kleinmann and many more.

London 1946 is the setting for Bookish, with viewers introduced to the appropriately named Gabriel Book (Gatiss) who owns a bookshop in Archangel Lane. If his War was packed with espionage and secrets, Book’s Peace is just as full of adventure! Now he helps the police solve the strangest of crimes and the knottiest of murders.

In the second season, 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. And 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.

Book’s close association to the police continues to be not without its personal dangers and his lavender marriage with childhood best friend Trottie (Walker), 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.

Bookish is a production of Eagle Eye Drama (an ITV Studios Company) in association with Happy Duck Films. The U&Original series has been commissioned by Helen Perry, head of drama commissioning for UKTV, and ordered by Emma Tibbetts, director of programming – scripted, and Hilary Rosen, director of commissioning. Executive producers for Eagle Eye Drama are Jo McGrath and Walter Iuzzolino.

All six episodes of season one are available to stream via Sky, NOW and Virgin Media. The spin-off book, also titled Bookish and written by co-writer Matthew Sweet is available to purchase.

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