Hide your kids, hide your stolen art: Streamer Acorn TV, an AMC Global Media platform, has renewed its original crime drama Art Detectives for a second season.
Art Detectives stars Stephen Moyer (The Night Agent, True Blood) as Detective Inspector (DI) Mick Palmer — and boy does that guy love art. Art Detectives is “set against a backdrop of Old Master paintings, Banksy street art, rare antiquities and priceless collectibles,” and the Heritage Crime Unit who must track them down. The other art detective here is straight-talking DC Shazia Malik (Nina Singh). Together, she and DI Palmer “navigate a rich and colorful world driven by greed, obsession, lust, and revenge to solve murders connected to the world of art and antiques,” per the official synopsis.
Also for season two, Larry Lamb (Gavin & Stacey, EastEnders) also returns as Ron Palmer, Mick’s charismatic, art-forging father. The elder Palmer is presently serving time in an open prison for handling the stolen Sickert painting that Mick recovered at the end of season one. (It was hidden behind a portrait of Mick’s mother.)
Production on Art Detectives season two begins in Belfast and Northern Ireland this month. Season two will premiere with a two-part special in December, followed by a full six-episode season in 2027.
“Great art, rare antiques, expensive collections and a battered satchel — what’s not to love about Mick Palmer? I’m really looking forward to filming these eight new episodes and reuniting with the brilliant Nina Singh,” Moyer said in a statement. “This new season is packed with drama, excitement, tension and surprises. I can’t wait to be back in Belfast, working alongside our wonderful production team again.”
When it launched, Art Detectives was Acorn TV’s most-watched new series premiere ever.
“We are delighted that DI Mick Palmer and DC Shazia Malik are back in the picture for a second season of gripping murder mysteries,” Paul Powell, the series’ co-creator and writer, said. “Heritage Crime returns, exposing the dark side of the art and antiques world, as our heroes track down stolen artefacts, flush out fakes and solve a series of ingenious murders. Proof that beautiful objects can make people do very ugly things.”
Powell didn’t spell artefacts wrong — he’s just British.
“Acorn TV viewers eagerly embraced the first season of Art Detectives for its compelling characters and unique twist on the mystery genre,” Acorn TV senior vice president of programming Don Klees said. “On the heels of successful, and well-received seasons of You’re Killing Me and Harry Wild, we’re thrilled to be bringing fans another round of investigations that’s sure to keep them guessing throughout each episode.”
Who wants the last word here?
“Unlike the art depicted in the show, a second season order never gets old,” Daniel March, managing partner at Dynamic Television, added. “The series is a masterpiece in how to make heritage crimes truly exciting television. It’s a testament to the exceptional Stephen Moyer and the very talented team at Black Dog for their commitment to artisanal crafted murders!”
Art Detectives is produced by Black Dog Television, Dynamic Television and Acorn Media Enterprises (AME), with additional funding from Northern Ireland Screen. Dynamic Television also serves as worldwide distributor; Acorn TV holds the rights in the U.S. and Canada.
The series is created and written by Dan Gaster, Will Ing, Powell and directed by Jennie Paddon, Declan Recks and Sam O’Mahony. The series is executive produced by Gaster, Ing and Powell for Black Dog Television, Daniel March and Klaus Zimmermann for Dynamic Television, Bea Tammer and Catherine Mackin for Acorn TV/AME, and Moyer. Candida Julian-Jones is the series producer and Martin Mahon is the producer.
