Bookish 2026 Christmas special The Crown of Destiny unveils first-look trailer

Paul Kaye, Michael Smiley and Shobna Gulati are set to guest star in the two-part special.

Mark Gatiss and Polly Walker in Bookish. They are in the bookshop, with Gatiss stood one side of a Christmas tree and Walker sat on the other side. There is a dog on the floor, sat in front of the tree.

UKTV

Published: Wednesday, 9 September 2026 at 10:30 pm

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*Warning - contains spoilers for the Bookish season 2 finale.*

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Now that Bookish season 2 has finished airing, a trailer has been released for the show's upcoming two-part Christmas special, The Crown of Destiny, which will air in December.

The trailer reveals the guest stars who are set to appear in the new episodes, including Paul Kaye (Small Prophets) as Dr Fetch, Michael Smiley (Blue Lights) as Cruikshank and Shobna Gulati (Hullraisers) as Miss Seth.

Meanwhile, it also gives us glimpses of the returning cast, including Mark Gatiss, Polly Walker, Elliot Levey, Blake Harrison, Buket Kömür, Rupert Graves and Dr Calder.

You can watch the trailer right here now.

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The synopsis for the specials says: "It’s Christmas in Archangel Lane and all seems well… Book and Trottie are hoping for a quiet and uneventful festive season, until an old rival of Book’s stumbles into the shop and drops dead on the carpet! His dying breath: 'You’re next!'

"But is this a warning or a threat? Book and Bliss follow the only clue they have – three Roman coins found on the body - and soon find themselves embroiled in a corkscrewing treasure hunt in and around the British Museum.

"But when a mysterious unknown foe kidnaps Trottie, Book and the team have only 24 hours to unravel the secrets of the British Museum mystery and save Trottie’s life!"

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One cast member who isn't expected to return is Connor Finch, after his character, Jack, was recruited by Simon Callow's E, so as to avoid a prison sentence for murdering his villainous father.

Beyond the Christmas special, Bookish will also be returning for a third season, which is expected to air next year.

Watch Mark Gatiss speak to RT about the future of Bookish below:

Bookish season 2 is available to stream in full on demand on Sky, Virgin, BT and TalkTalk.

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Authors

Black and white cut-out portrait headshot of James Hibbs, smiling against a lime green background.

James HibbsDrama Writer

James Hibbs is a Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering programmes across both streaming platforms and linear channels. He previously worked in PR, first for a B2B agency and subsequently for international TV production company Fremantle. He possesses a BA in English and Theatre Studies and an NCTJ Level 5 Diploma in Journalism.

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