Sky Orders Second Chapter of Under Salt Marsh, Sending Rafe Spall's Detective to Scotland

Sky has commissioned a second chapter of its crime drama Under Salt Marsh, with Rafe Spall returning as Detective Eric Bull — this time relocating the action from the Welsh coast to a remote Scottish mining village where a murder investigation pulls him closer to the truth about his own past (The Hollywood Reporter).

The new season is a six-part series created, written and directed by Claire Oakley, who writes alongside In-Sook Chappell, Jonathan Harbottle and Scott Graham. Little Door Productions produces in association with Sky Studios. Filming begins in Scotland in 2027, and the series will be available on Sky and the streaming service Now in the UK, Ireland and Italy. NBCUniversal Global TV Distribution handles international sales.

The renewal follows a strong first season. Under Salt Marsh launched on 30 January 2026 and became Sky's biggest original drama launch since The Day of the Jackal, according to The Hollywood Reporter. It drew 1.8 million viewers in its first seven days, per Sky's own figures, and went on to reach a 28-day audience of 2.5 million — making it Sky's biggest entertainment title of 2026 to date.

Season one was filmed in Wales and set in the fictional North Wales village of Morfa Halen, a close-knit community fractured by an unspeakable crime. Kelly Reilly led the cast alongside Spall, playing a former detective drawn back into a murder investigation. The ensemble also included Jonathan Pryce, Naomi Yang and Harry Lawtey. The series airs on Sky Atlantic, with new episodes released weekly on Fridays.

For the second chapter, Spall's Detective Bull moves north. The Scottish mining village setting marks a shift in landscape and tone for a show whose first season was rooted in the tidal flats and tight community of coastal Wales. Whether Reilly or other season-one cast members return has not been confirmed.

Behind the camera, Elwen Rowlands executive produces for Little Door, Oakley executive produces, and Megan Spanjian executive produces for Sky. Zoranna Piggott serves as series producer.

For viewers who found Under Salt Marsh on Sky or Now — the only platforms carrying the show in the UK, as it is not available on Netflix, Prime Video or other third-party services — the commission means a story that ended its first chapter in January will continue. The gap between seasons will be wider than usual, with filming not starting until 2027, meaning a return to screens is likely at least a year and a half away.

The commission also signals Sky's continued investment in original drama at a time when several streaming platforms have been pulling back on scripted commissions. Under Salt Marsh gave the broadcaster its strongest drama launch in over a year. A second six-part order keeps the writers' room, the crew and the story alive.