ITV viewers all say same thing minutes into new police drama from Line of Duty producers

A new crime drama on ITV has returned to rave reviews, with viewers admitting they 'binged it in one go'.

The much-anticipated second series of Karen Pirie premiered on Sunday night (July 20), three years after its initial debut.

The show, based on Val McDermid's Inspector Karen Pirie novels, is produced by World Productions, the masterminds behind Line of Duty and Bodyguard. Starring Lauren Lyle as officer Karen Pirie, the new series sees her character promoted to detective inspector.

Karen quickly finds herself embroiled in a dramatic cold case involving the decades-old unsolved kidnapping of heiress Catriona Grant (Julia Brown) and her son.

With the discovery of a body linked to the original case, Karen is determined to uncover the truth, facing the most significant challenge of her career.

Fans were quick to express their enthusiasm for the show's comeback moments after it aired. On X, one viewer commented: "So happy it's back. A proper detective series with interesting characters and storylines.", reports Wales Online.

Another suggested: "The new Line of Duty I think!" A third confessed: "Watched the first three episodes already! So good." And another fan exclaimed: "Feel like I've been waiting a lifetime for this new series."

The acclaimed series Karen Pirie is set to return with a brilliant ensemble cast, featuring Chris Jenks as DC Jason Murray, Zach Wyatt as DS Phil Parhatka, Steve John Shepherd as DI Simon Lees, and Emer Kenny as River Wilde.

Lauren Lyle, who stars as the titular character, expressed her excitement about the show's continuation: "I'm thrilled that we will continue the life of our fearless young detective Karen Pirie, and of course, her bumbag."

She added, "I've known for a while how well the show has gone down behind the scenes so it's been a joy to see audiences want more."

Lyle also praised the collaborative process, saying, "It's a creative honour to work alongside Emer Kenny with the backbone of Val McDermid's story. Season 1 was incredibly exciting building an original character we hadn't seen before. I look forward to getting the gang back together and finally being able to answer the question: 'Please say there will be a season 2?' with an 'Oh yes.'"

You can watch Karen Pirie on ITV and ITVX.