The Outlaws season 2: first-look images have been released

The Outlaws season 2
The Outlaws season 2 is heading to BBC1. (Image credit: BBC)

The Outlaws returns to our screens next month after a hugely successful first season which was streamed 11 million times on BBC iPlayer. 

With The Outlaws season 2 headed our way, some first-look images have been released to give us a glimpse at what to expect when Stephen Merchant's comedy returns for another round.

The series sees the return of Stephen Merchant, as well as Academy Award-winning actor Christopher Walken, Rhianne Barreto (Honour), Gamba Cole (Soon Gone: A Windrush Chronicle), Darren Boyd (Killing Eve), Clare Perkins (EastEnders), Eleanor Tomlinson (Poldark).

Further casting includes Jessica Gunning (Back), Charles Babalola (Bancroft), Nina Wadia (EastEnders and Bend It like Beckham), Tom Hanson (Brassic), and Aiyana Goodfellow (Small Axe), while Derry Girls' Ian McElhinney and Gavin & Stacey's Julia Davis guest star this season.

With The Outlaws season 2 arriving later this month, here are some first images of the cast as they prepare to navigate some brand new challenges...

Season 2 is set to follow on directly from the first, with news of the second instalment being announced in November 2021 after the first was a huge hit among TV fans.

The synopsis for season 2 says: "If they thought the criminal underworld or the local police were done with them, they are sorely mistaken.  The Outlaws must depend on one another while working with unlikely allies to atone for their sins - but can they save themselves without sacrificing their souls?"

The Outlaws follows seven strangers from different walks of life who are all forced together to complete a community payback sentence in Bristol, with Stephen Merchant leading the cast as struggling lawyer and divorcé Greg.

Speaking about his inspiration for the series, creator and star Stephen Merchant spoke to WhattoWatch and revealed: "My mum and dad told me about the people that came through the ranks and what I liked was that they’d renovate a play area or community hall and there was a sense of accomplishment. 

"My mum felt proud and I'm sure the people doing it did. It’s an interesting area for a show because you have unlikely people forced to work together. They’re from different walks of life."

The Outlaws season 1 is available in full on BBC iPlayer, with the second season arriving on BBC1 soon. 

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