Martin Freeman returns for The Responder series 2, which is heading to the BBC in early May: here’s the trailer for the show.

The first series of psychological drama The Responder held a mirror up to the emotional extremes of life on the front line of British policing. Written by former Merseyside police officer Tony Schumacher, the show was equal parts a thrilling police procedural and intense character study, with a tour de force performance by Martin Freeman at the centre. It was one of the biggest dramas of 2022, winning Freeman an International Emmy for Best Actor and several BAFTA nominations. Half of the first series was directed by Philip Barantini, who went on to direct the brilliant Boiling Point.

Set and filmed in Liverpool, it followed Chris Carter, an inspector, as he gets demoted and begins working the night shift. The drama interspersed scenes of Chris tackling various crimes with scenes of him talking with his therapist, as he details how the job affects his mental health. He also draws the ire of a local drug dealer after he protects a teenage girl who stole his product.

Series 2, which is made up of five episodes, will air on BBC One and iPlayer from the 5th May.

The synopsis reads as follows:

Martin Freeman stars as an urgent response officer trying to stay on the straight and narrow. But when he crosses a top drug dealer, he starts to fall back into old ways.

Reprising their roles are Freeman, Adelayo Adedayo, MyAnna Buring, Warren Brown, Josh Finan, Emily Fairn, Philip S McGuinness, Faye McKeever, Mark Womack and Amaka Okafor.

Joining the cast are Adam Nagaitis, Bernard Hill and Ian Puleston-Davies.

Schumacher has written the series, with Jeanette Nordahl, Mounia Akl and Charlotte Regan directing.

You can watch series one of The Responder on BBC iPlayer.

Watch the trailer for series 2 below: