PRIMETIME POLICING
The Responder cast and plot explained – all about the BBC One drama
The show is based on the real-life experiences of a former policeman
THE Responder fans are thrilled that the hit BBC series is back for another thrilling season.
The BBC One show is based on Liverpool's front-line police force and features an all-star cast led by Martin Freeman.
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The Responder is written by ex-Merseyside police officer Tony Schumacher, and is based on his own experiences in the force.
It follows the life of Chris Carson, an urgent response officer in Liverpool who is tasked with the dreaded night shift.
Following a successful first series, The Responder is back for a second season.
Series two joins Chris Carson six months on with him attempting to rebuild his life, his relationships, and desperate to avoid the corruption that nearly sucked him under.
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Martin Freeman as Chris Carson
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Martin of course is best known for playing the lovable Tim in Ricky Gervais' mockumentary The Office (2001–2003).
Another notable TV role was playing Dr John Watson in Sherlock (2010–2017) for which he won an Emmy and Bafta.
He also won two gongs for playing Bilbo in The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
He is also known for the dark comedy-crime drama TV series Fargo (2014).
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Martin was praised for his performance as Detective Superintendent Stephen Fulcher in true-crime drama A Confession in 2019.
Awkward moment in BBC One's The Responder between Martin Freeman and his former Office co-star
Speaking about why he loves being part of The Responder cast, Martin told the BBC: "We were all excited by the first series and hoped what we were making was a good show.
"There are a few times in your life, if you're lucky, when people connect with something you've made in a way that goes beyond your dreams or what you could have wished for.
"I really believed in the show and felt it was a very good piece of work.
"It’s one of the most successful things I've worked on and I knew within reading the first five pages that I wanted to play this character."
Adelayo Adedayo as Rachel Hargreaves
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Adelayo Adedayo is best known for playing Viva in the BBC teen comedy series Some Girls.
She has also appeared in Unlocked, Stan Lee's Lucky Man, Timewasters, Law & Order: UK, and Origin.
In The Responder she reprises her role of Chris' police partner Rachel Hargreaves.
Talking to the BBC about her character, Adelayo said: "In series one, she was very much by the book.
"It is admirable but because we, as humans, are flawed it's hard to watch and connect when someone is constantly appearing to do the right thing.
"This series she's absolutely not doing that. She is completely disillusioned.
"It's sad because she's lost her belief in that kind of ideal. I hope people are going to connect to that and understand her a little bit more."
MyAnna Buring as Kate Carson
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MyAnna Buring played DI Helen Weeks in BBC crime drama In The Dark.
The actress, gained international prominence when she starred in two of the Twilight saga films as Tanya.
MyAnna's other screen credits include Downton Abbey, Banished, Doctor Who and Ripper Street.
Speaking about why the show is so successful, MyAnna told the BBC: "The audience fell in love with the show because it had this unique voice.
"It was the same reason I fell in love with the scripts when I first read them.
"Tony created these vibrant characters that jumped off the page.
"You could like them, love them and hate them in equal measure and at its heart is this incredible central character; an antihero who had a moral quandary to deal with that was really compelling to watch.
"The style of the show captured brilliantly what was on the page. It was thrilling."
Warren Brown as Raymond Mullen
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Warren Brown is best known for his roles as Donny Maguire in Shameless.
He is also known for playing Andy Holt in Hollyoaks and as DS Justin Ripley in the BBC crime drama Luther.
He also starred in the television series Strike Back, and ITV's Trigger Point.
Warren told the BBC: "You never know how things are going to be received, you can read a script and think it's fantastic, but you just never know until everything is finished and you see what the audience’s response is.
"Luckily for us it was overwhelmingly positive from both the audience and the critics, so to get the opportunity to come back, has been brilliant.
"It can be a bit like the tricky second album going into a second series after a huge hit.
"You have the pressure to make the next one as good or better but, I think Tony's pulled it off."
The rest of the cast includes:
- Josh Finan as Marco - The actor is known for Baby Reindeer.
- Emily Fairn as Casey - The actress is known for Black Mirror.
- Philip S McGuinness as Ian - The actor is known for The Batman.
- Faye McKeever as Jodie Sweeney - The actress is known for Little Boy Blue.
- Mark Womack as Barry - The actor is known for Emmerdale.
- Amaka Okafor as Deborah Barnes - The actress is known for Netflix's Bodies.
How to watch The Responder
The Responder season 2 kicks off on Sunday, May 5, 2024 on BBC One at 9pm.
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The series will then continue at this time every week on Sundays.
Fans will also be able to watch the show on the BBC iPlayer.
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