THIS CITY IS OURS: CRIME DRAMA RENEWED FOR SECOND SERIES ON BBC ONE

This City is Ours, the critically-lauded breakout hit crime drama, will return to BBC iPlayer and BBC One for a second series.

Episode one of This City is Ours has been watched by over 6.6 million people so far, more than tripling its initial overnight figure of 1.9 million. Viewers continue to discover the series on BBC iPlayer, where it has been the BBC’s most watched new drama launch of the year so far, and almost 3 million people have streamed the series finale ahead of its BBC One transmission tonight.

Created and written by Stephen Butchard and made by Left Bank Pictures, This City is Ours is filmed in Liverpool and tells the story of Michael (James Nelson-Joyce) and Diana's (Hannah Onslow) love affair, set against the disintegration of Michael’s crime gang.

For years, together with his friend Ronnie (Sean Bean), Michael has successfully been bringing cocaine into the City and beyond, using his close links with the Marbella underworld; but when a shipment goes missing, he knows their kingdom is under attack.

This City explores what happens when Ronnie’s son Jamie (Jack McMullen) decides he wants to inherit the kingdom over Michael, and the subsequent battle for control.

Series one also stars Laura Aikman, Julie Graham, Kevin Harvey, Saoirse-Monica Jackson, Mike Noble, Bobby Schofield, Darci Shaw, and Stephen Walters.

Stephen Butchard, This City is Ours creator, lead writer and executive producer says: “We have all been blown away by the incredibly positive response to This City is Ours, I can’t thank the audience enough for their time and emotional investment. My heartfelt thanks also to Lindsay Salt and her wonderful team at BBC Drama for their unflinching support and continued belief in the show, our story and our characters - and not least for this opportunity to do it all over again! See you soon!”

Sian McWilliams, Creative Director at Left Bank Pictures and executive producer on This City is Ours says: “We are so delighted to be diving back into Stephen Butchard’s brilliant underworld of Liverpool crime with our wonderful collaborators at the BBC. It’s been a joy to watch audiences fall in love with these fantastically complex characters. After the tumultuous events of the season one finale, the gang rivalries and betrayals have escalated to new levels, new ones have just begun, and there is a lot of unfinished business!”

Lindsay Salt, Director of BBC Drama says: “This City is Ours was one of our team’s first commissions when I joined the BBC, and I could not be happier with how Stephen, Saul and the Left Bank team have brought it to the screen so classily...

"The response from viewers has been a joy to see, with millions discovering its thrilling, character-driven drama for themselves to become gripped by the raging war of the Phelans. I'm delighted that we now get to build on this fantastic first run and show that things are only just getting started for this very special series."

This City is Ours series one is available to stream in full on BBC iPlayer.