Dodgy cop drama starring Martin Freeman with divisive accent returns to BBC tonight after two years

Martin Freeman is back on our TV screens in the police drama about a 999 responder getting dragged into all sorts of dodgy dealings.

The critically acclaimed show has been away for a couple of years but those who enjoyed the first rodeo were glad to hear that things had been pointing towards a sequel.

This is of course The Responder, with Freeman starring as experienced Merseyside Police officer Chris.

Back in the first series we'd seen a demoted copper partnered up with rookie officer Rachel (Adelayo Adedayo), forced to juggle the pressures of the job with a troubled family life and all sorts of drama in-between.

What little we've seen of a second season suggests that Chris' wife Kate (MyAnna Buring) is planning to leave Liverpool and take her daughter with her.

Back on the beat, back on the Beeb. (BBC/Dancing Ledge/Rekha Garton)

Meanwhile, Chris appears to be up to his neck in a new boatload of trouble as he gets roped into dodgy dealings with criminals.

Not everyone was the biggest fan of Freeman's Scouse accent the first time around but that's a relatively minor bump in the road on the way to a great police drama.

Besides, it sounded pretty fine to my non-Scouse ears but perhaps my Yorkshire heritage leaves me ill-equipped to detect the authenticity of other accents.

Fans of the first season are naturally overjoyed that Freeman and co are back for another round of The Responder, with the second season kicking off tonight (5 May), so make sure you're either plonked on your sofa this evening or have remembered to stick it on series link.

The Responder racked up millions of viewers when it was first released, with the first episode being the third most watched thing on iPlayer in the whole of 2022.

This bad boy can fit so much compelling drama inside him, and the second season starts tonight. (BBC)

Whether you think his accent in the show was questionable or not, what is clear is that Freeman won an Emmy for his performance in the show so it's a very good thing that we're getting more.

Created by former police officer Tony Schumacher, who drew on his own experiences on the job for The Responder, the buzz for the upcoming series is as strong as a hive of 10,000 bees.

It's nice to be here at the start of a new series of a much anticipated show, with The Responder yet to tip its hand and all the twists, turns and drama in store.

The Responder returns to TV tonight (5 May) on BBC One at 9pm, episodes will also be releasing on BBC iPlayer.