British crime drama with “mismatched detectives” hailed as ‘the best duo in years’ gets major update
Cooper and Fry, the British drama centred on “mismatched detectives Ben Cooper and Diane Fry”, has finally confirmed that a second season is coming – with filming already under way.
The series started trending on Channel 5’s streaming platform after its release at the end of 2025, and was based on the novel series by author Stephen Booth. It’s been revealed that Cooper and Fry’s second series will cover The Devil’s Edge, Fall Down Dead, One Last Breath, and The Murder Road books.
As well as being popular among viewers when it first dropped, The i Paper‘s review praised the show for having “TV’s best new detective duo in years”.
Channel 5
The on-screen pairing, played by Doctor Who‘s Mandip Gill and Downton Abbey’s Robert James-Collier, will of course be back for the second season, with Channel 5 confirming that Cooper and Fry will “investigate a string of eerie murder cases in the mystery-shrouded Peak District.”
The official description also teases: “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.”
Also set to return as part of the cast for Cooper and Fry season two are Lorcan Cranitch (Blue Lights) and Charlotte Bradley (The Dry).
A number of new faces have also been revealed to be joining, including Pollyanna McIntosh-Goldthwait (The Walking Dead), Scott Graham (Vikings), Kathy Rose O’Brien (Small Town).
“I’m thrilled to be returning to Cooper & Fry after the brilliant reaction to series one,” lead star Mandip Gill said in a statement, along with the news of season two. “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.”
Channel 5
Meanwhile Robert James-Collier said: “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.”
5’s Commissioning Editor Paul Testar also said: “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.”
Cooper and Fry season 2 is filming now and is expected to air in 2027 on 5.
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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).
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