BritBox has begun production on the second season of its BAFTA-winning thriller Code of Silence, bringing Rose Ayling-Ellis MBE back to the lead role while adding several new cast members to the six-part drama.
Produced by Mammoth Screen, part of ITV Studios, the series is commissioned by BritBox for North America. The production adds to the streaming service’s pipeline of British programming for audiences in Canada and the United States following the reception of the first season.
Rose Ayling-Ellis Returns as Alison Brooks
Ayling-Ellis reprises her role as Alison Brooks, with the new season taking place two years after the events of the first. Alison has now completed forensic lip-reading training with police and becomes involved in a high-stakes surveillance operation.
Returning cast members include Andrew Buchan as DI James Marsh, Nathan Armarkwei Laryea as DS Ben Lawford, as well as John Bishop and Fifi Garfield.
Ayling-Ellis said: “I can’t wait to get back on set with the brilliant cast and crew that made working on the first series such a delight and I’m looking forward to welcoming new members of the team too.”
Jonah Hauer-King and Jo Joyner Join Season 2 Cast
The second season expands the ensemble with Jonah Hauer-King, Jo Joyner, Sophie McShera, John Hollingworth, Sasha Desouza-Willock and Emily Head.
Hauer-King joins as DS Daniel Henshaw, while Desouza-Willock plays DC Lizzie Silver. Head portrays Ruby Dowling, a woman whose involvement in a sophisticated money-laundering operation places her at the centre of the season’s investigation.
Ruby is arrested after illicit cash is discovered hidden in her vehicle but is subsequently released on bail. She returns to an increasingly dangerous environment as she faces pressure from both police and criminals.
After Ruby becomes the victim of a violent attack, Marsh and his team begin searching for answers, with Alison tasked with decoding Ruby’s final silent moments captured on CCTV.
New Investigation Expands Alison’s Police Role
Creator and writer Catherine Moulton returns for the second season, continuing the series’ focus on crime, communication and representation.
Moulton said: “I’m thrilled to be bringing Alison back for a second series. Now she’s officially part of the police team, she’s keen to make her mark. Faced with her first murder investigation, Alison is determined to do her best by the victim, Ruby, a single mother whose death raises far more questions than answers. As she uses her personal connections to investigate, she struggles to balance her determination to uncover Ruby’s killer with the limits of her new police role. But blurred boundaries lead to divided loyalties, and her detective’s instincts, combined with her unique skill as a lip reader and close attention to detail, tell her there’s so much more to this case than meets the eye.”
The investigation places Alison’s specialist skills at the centre of the story while introducing personal risks as hidden connections emerge and the criminal operation begins to close in.
Mammoth Screen Builds on BAFTA Success
The first season received praise for its portrayal of the Deaf community and its approach to incorporating lip-reading into the mechanics of a crime thriller. The production subsequently secured a BAFTA, providing additional momentum for the second instalment.
Mammoth Screen Founder and Chief Creative Officer Damien Timmer said: “This is a special show to work on, and it was a thrill to win a BAFTA for series 1. Audiences have really taken Rose and Alison to their hearts, and we have so many surprises we’re excited to share on series 2!”
Production Team Returns for Six-Episode Season
Joseph Shrubb returns as producer. Meenu Gaur will direct episodes one through three, while Nirpal Bhogal will direct the final three episodes.
Moulton is joined on the writing team by Genevieve Barr, Melissa Bubnic, Kevin Rundle and Nicola Wilson.
Executive producers include Timmer, Ayling-Ellis and Moulton, alongside Jon Farrar and Jess O’Riordan for BritBox. ITV Director of Drama Polly Hill and Drama Commissioner Callum Dziedzic are overseeing production for ITV.
BritBox, which is owned by BBC Studios, operates in Canada, the United States, Australia and the Nordic region, specializing in British television programming across drama, mystery, comedy, documentary and lifestyle categories.
No premiere date for the second season has been announced. The first season of Code of Silence remains available to stream on BritBox while production on the new six-part instalment moves forward.