The BBC has renewed McMafia for a second series, it’s been confirmed. The first series of McMafia was a fictionalised adaptation of Misha Glenny’s nonfiction crime book of the same name, with James Norton playing a central role as Alex Godman. The show explores organised crime relations between Britain and Russia.
McMafia series 1 earned strong ratings and critical acclaim all over the world, and stimulated lots of watercooler discussions, so it shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise that the BBC has ordered McMafia series 2.
The show’s writers, Hossein Amini and James Watkins, said this in a statement:
“We are so thrilled with how McMafia has resonated with audiences across the world and are delighted to be given the opportunity to cast more light on the shady intersections of transnational criminals and their enablers in finance, law, intelligence agencies and even in governments.”
BBC drama chief Piers Wenger said this about the renewal:
“McMafia’s blend of topicality and killer storytelling struck a chord with audiences and significantly added to the discourse around Anglo-Russian relations, and we are excited to be returning to that world in the safe and brilliant hands of James and Hoss for Series 2.”
We don’t know yet when McMafia will return to our screens, but it seems safe to assume that the BBC will want to get things going pretty quickly to capitalise on the show’s global hype.
More as we hear it.