COOPER & FRY: DETECTIVE DUO RETURN TO CHANNEL 5 AS DRAMA RECOMMISSIONED FOR SECOND SERIES

5 today announces the recommission of critically acclaimed detective drama Cooper & Fry after a successful first series run. The 8x60’ series will again be produced by Clapperboard in association with STUDIO TF1.

Adapted from Stephen Booth’s best-selling novels of the same name, Cooper & Fry series two will continue to follow unlikely detective duo Ben Cooper and Diane Fry, played by Robert James-Collier (The Inheritance, Downton Abbey) and Mandip Gill (Doctor Who, Can You Keep a Secret?), as they investigate a string of eerie murder cases in the mystery-shrouded Peak District.

Building on the unique friendship forged in series one, Ben and Diane will navigate cases steeped in the legendary folklore of the area, all while battling each other’s conflicting investigation styles and facing their complicated personal lives head on.

Series two also sees the return of Lorcan Cranitch (Blue Lights, Leonard and Hungry Paul) as DI Hitchens and Charlotte Bradley (The Dry, Arctic Circle) as Isobel Cooper. New faces include Pollyanna McIntosh-Goldthwait (The Walking Dead, Vikings: Valhalla) as DI Kim Armstrong, Scott Graham (Vikings, Redemption) as DC Gavin Murfin and Kathy Rose O’Brien (Small Town, Big Story, Deadly Cuts) as Liz Petty. Cooper & Fry series two will cover Booth’s novels The Devil’s Edge, Fall Down Dead, One Last Breath, The Murder Road.

The second series of Cooper & Fry was ordered for 5 by Commissioning Editors Paul Testar and Greg Barnett, alongside Deputy Chief Content Officer and Head of Drama, Sebastian Cardwell. Mike Benson and Jonathan Hall will Executive Produce for Clapperboard along with Tamryn Reinecke of Pale Rebel Productions. Ben Court and Caroline Ip return as Lead Writers with Ronan Burke and Rob Burke as Directors for the series. STUDIO TF1 will handle international distribution for the series.

Mandip Gill on returning for series two: “I’m thrilled to be returning to Cooper & Fry after the brilliant reaction to series one. It’s a real pleasure to be working alongside Rob again and I’m excited for audiences to see where the story takes us this time.”

Rober James-Collier continues: "I'm thrilled to be back playing DC Ben Cooper along with my good friend Mandip Gill in the role of Diane Fry. The audience really warmed to the first series of Cooper & Fry and we hope they will again, so stay tuned as we have lots more murders to solve and all sorts of strange goings-on down in Edendale."

Paul Testar, Commissioning Editor, 5 adds: “Cooper & Fry proved to be a huge hit with 5’s audience and we’re incredibly excited to bring more of Stephen Booth’s novels to life. Rob and Mandip make a formidable detective duo, and we can’t wait to see what Cooper and Fry get their teeth into this series.”

Jonathan Hall, Executive Producer, Clapperboard continues: “We’re thrilled to be returning to the Peak District with Cooper & Fry for a new set of gripping murder mysteries. Steve Booth’s fantastic novels are packed with memorable characters and atmospheric crimes that we’re looking forward to bringing to 5 soon.”

Karine Atlan, EVP Acquisitions and International Co-Productions at STUDIO TF1 adds: “We’re thrilled to deepen our partnership with 5 and Clapperboard on a second series of Cooper & Fry. The success of the first series confirmed the strength of the brand and its audience appeal and reinforces STUDIO TF1’s ambition to become a leading destination for premium English-language scripted content.”

Cooper & Fry series two is filming now and set to air on 5 in 2027.