BBC's Rebus future with Outlander star confirmed after acclaimed first run

So, it's a good thing that it's coming back for more and it's not the end of the Rebus journey as we know it.

The second season will once again be led by Outlander's Rankin as the titular detective, with Rebus set to "explore the links between violent criminals involved in the drug trade in Edinburgh and the professional bourgeois world of law and finance, where police sometimes fear to tread".

As teased by the BBC, Rebus season 2 will also "continue to explore Rebus’s complex world as he navigates Scottish crime and personal conflict".

On the series renewal announcement, Louise Thornton, head of commissioning for BBC Scotland, said: “We were blown away with the audience response to the new-look Rebus first time round so bringing it back for a second series was always a priority. The combination of brilliant storytelling, powerful performances and top class production values will make this new series must-see television.

"This commission is part of our recently announced strategy to bring more high impact scripted content from Scotland and we’re confident audiences will enjoy this next series as much as they did the first.”

As Thornton points out, Rebus is one of a growing number of original Scottish dramas that already includes the likes of Shetland, The Bombing of Pan Am 103 and Vigil.

The series is based on the bestselling books by Ian Rankin, who also serves as executive producer on the series.

On the news of season 2, he said: "Season one of Rebus ended on a cliffhanger. Only screenwriter Gregory Burke knows what happens next. So I’m hugely excited that season two will soon be with us. Rebus is back – mean, moody and as magnificent as ever!"

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Series writer Gregory Burke also added: "I’m delighted to be given the chance by the BBC and Eleventh Hour Films to bring Rebus back to the nation’s TV screens once more. Ian Rankin’s character and body of work are the perfect materials with which to explore contemporary Scottish society and the turbulent world that surrounds it."

Previously addressing the potential of a second season of Rebus, Rankin told the BBC ahead of the series premiere: "I hope people take out of it what we put in."

He continued: "The entire ensemble of cast and crew are immensely talented individuals who all brought their A-game to the series. I think that really shows. I hope audiences will develop an appetite for more, so that we can bring another series their way further down the line.

"I really hope that people will fall in love with Rebus in the same way that we have."

Well, it looks as though fans have certainly fallen in love with enough to pave the way for more. While a release date or production kick-off window hasn't yet been given, we're sure like season 1, Rebus season 2 will continue to be filmed in and around Edinburgh and Glasgow.

Rebus is available to watch now on BBC iPlayer.

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