Bookish series 2 is heading our way, even though the first series of this new Mark Gatiss mystery has just hit U&alibi.

UKTV recently confirmed that work has begun on more episodes of this period crime thriller co-written by Mark and author Matthew Sweet. Gatiss will return to pen additional episodes and also star in the show as the charismatic and curious sleuth Gabriel Book.

Starting on July 16, the first series transports viewers to 1946 London. Here, we find a city still reeling from World War II with local police facing plenty of tough-to-crack crimes.

Read more: Literally everything you need to know about Bookish

Thankfully, they have help from Gabriel (Mark Gatiss), the super-smart and debonair bookshop owner who splits his time between selling dusty novels and helping bobbies bust baddies.

That said, he’s not without his own secrets. Together with his platonic wife Trottie (Polly Walker), this loving couple work to hide Gabriel’s true sexual orientation during a perilous era where being gay could lead to your arrest.

While details on Bookish series 2 remain sparse at this early stage, below you’ll find our official case file featuring everything we know about it thus far…

Bookish series 2 – how many episodes will it have?

Confirmation for Bookish series 2 arrived in May 2025. Filming will take place throughout the summer of the same year.

Speaking of the show’s speedy renewal, Mark Gatiss said: “I’m thrilled that the team at U&alibi are allowing me to dive back into the world of Bookish and create more fiendish crimes for Gabriel Book and the team to solve.

“I can’t wait for viewers to immerse themselves in the world we’ve created when the first series airs in a few months’ time.”

How many episodes will it have?

According to the broadcaster, Bookish series 2 will mirror the episode format of the first. This means we’ll get six instalments, each lasting 70 minutes.

Gabriel’s cases in Bookish series 1 span two episodes, with the full series unpicking three crimes. At the moment, it’s unclear whether Bookish series 2 will follow suit.

Who is in the cast?

So far, a full cast list for Bookish series 2 isn’t available. However, we know that Mark will be back as the show’s high-thinking hero.

The first series sees him joined by a group of regular stars including Polly Walker as Gabriel’s wife Trottie and stage star Elliot Levey as London copper Inspector Bliss. Each share a keen and close connection to Mark’s character, so it’s very possible that they’ll continue to cross paths with him in future episodes.

Bookish series 1 also sees an array of guest stars pass through the various cases Gabriel isworking on with the local police. These included the likes of Line of Duty‘s Daniel Mays, former Doctor Who Paul McGann, The Gentlemen star Joely Richardson and Kate & Koji’s Blake Harrison, just to name a few.

With so many starry names popping up, it sets the stage nicely for even more notable actors to appear in future episodes of the show.

Does Bookish series 2 have a release date?

Unfortunately not. With filming still underway – and series 1 yet to drop – we’ll all have to wait a little longer before we find out when we can sit down and enjoy Bookish series 2.

That said, if the first lot of episodes are anything to go by, the turn around on series 2 could be quite quick.

Bookish series 1 was filmed in April 2024, with a release date of July the following year. If new episodes follow the same pattern, we could see Gabriel return before 2026 is over.

When is series 1 released? How to watch it

Bookish series 1 will land in July but it doesn’t have a release date.

The show’s co-writer Sweet has also written a tie-in book that will land on shelves on July 10. This new story chronicles Gabriel’s cases from the point of view of Nora. She’s a character in first series, played by Buket Kömür.

When it’s available, viewers can find Bookish on U&alibi. This channel is entirely focused on pshowing mystery and crime dramas. For viewers in the United Kingdom, this is accessible via U, Sky, Virgin Media, NOW, Freeview, Freesat and Freely.

Meanwhile, those in Ireland can watch via Sky, Virgin Media, Eir, Vodafone and NOW.

Bookish series 2 is coming to U&alibi. Series 1 starts on Wednesday July 16 2025.