Kevin Whately and Laurence Fox will return for a ninth season of Lewis.

ITV has commissioned six new episodes of the long-running crime drama, with Whately and Fox reprising their roles as Detectives Robbie Lewis and James Hathaway.

Angela Griffin (Mount Pleasant) will also be back as Detective Sergeant Lizzie Maddox.

Season 9 will see the arrival of a new Chief Superintendent, heralding a fresh dawn for Oxfordshire Police. However, the high flyer soon clashes with Robbie Lewis (Kevin Whately) over the latter’s more traditional approach to detective work. With forensic pathologist Laura Hobson (Clare Holman) contemplating early retirement, and the new boss piling on the pressure, will Lewis finally decide to call time on his policing career?

The new episodes will also see Hathaway (Laurence Fox) confront his past, after years of avoiding the thorny issue of family ties.

Executive producer Michele Buck commented: “I am thrilled to be making a ninth series of Lewis, one of ITV’s best-loved drama’s. Against the beautiful backdrop of Oxford, Lewis and Hathaway will once again investigate the city’s darkest crimes.”

ITV’s Director of Drama, Steve November added: “We are delighted that Kevin and Laurence are returning for a ninth series of Lewis. Each story is complex and intriguing and Detectives Robbie Lewis and James Hathaway are a formidable partnership much loved by ITV viewers. I am also pleased to welcome back Angela Griffin as DS Lizzie Maddox.”

Season 9 begins filming in and around Oxford next month.

Are you looking forward to the return of Lewis? Let us know below…