Stephen Merchant comedy 'The Outlaws' has been renewed for a second season

The Outlaws cast
(Image credit: BBC)

The Outlaws season 1 premiered in the UK on BBC1 and BBC iPlayer between October and November, and it's now been confirmed that it will return for a second instalment.

The first series, which will be shown in the U.S. next year on Amazon Prime, was streamed 11 million times and due to its popularity, fans will have even more episodes to enjoy next year. It was written by both Merchant and Elgin James, known for his work on Mayans M.C.

It follows seven strangers who meet while doing community service and end up discovering a large, suspicious bag of money. Season 1 starred Christopher Walken in his first British TV role, alongside creator Stephen Merchant, Darren Boyd, Clare Perkins, Eleanor Tomlinson, Rhianne Barreto, and Gamba Cole.

In a statement, Stephen Merchant confirmed the news, saying: "I am overwhelmed by the wonderful response to The Outlaws. Audiences have fallen in love with the characters as much as I have and my Twitter feed is inundated with people asking for updates on series two, so I’m delighted to confirm the entire gang will return for more adventures. If we made The Outlaws sweat in Series one, we’re really turning the heat up second time round."

Jon Petrie, Director of BBC Comedy, added: “The Outlaws has entertained BBC viewers across the nation this autumn and we are thrilled to say the series is the BBC’s biggest comedy launch this year. We can’t wait for fans to see what Stephen has in store for this second series as our Outlaws come face to face with the consequences of their actions.”

Both seasons of The Outlaws will be available on BBC iPlayer in the UK, and on Amazon Prime Video in the US.

Chris Mansolillo, director and head of content licensing in the U.S. for Prime Video, says: "Stephen and Elgin’s unlikely band of Outlaws have clearly connected with audiences in the UK, through their compelling storylines, and hilarious and heartfelt performances. We can’t wait to introduce The Outlaws to our Prime Video members next year."

Lucy Buglass
Senior Staff Writer

Lucy joined the WhatToWatch.com team in 2021, where she writes series guides for must-watch programmes, reviews and the latest TV news. Now she works for our sister site TechRadar in the same role. Originally from Northumberland, she graduated from Oxford Brookes University with a degree in Film Studies and moved to London to begin a career writing about entertainment.

She is a Rotten Tomatoes approved film critic and has a huge passion for cinema. She especially loves horror, thriller and anything crime-related. Her favourite TV programmes include Inside No 9, American Horror Story, Stranger Things and Black Mirror but she is also partial to a quiz show or a bit of Say Yes to the Dress