Karen Pirie’s Chilling New Case shot in Fife
Award winning actress, Lauren Lyle leads the critically acclaimed cold-case drama.
Karen Pirie 2 makes its debut on ITV and STV on Sunday 20th July. Filmed extensively in Fife, the series is produced by World Productions (Line of Duty) in association with ITV Studios. It’s a hotly anticipated new season of the award-winning cold-case crime drama based on one of so many bestselling novels by Val McDermid’s, Season 2 brings A Darker Domain to the screen. The three part series lands in the USA and Canada in October on BritBox. Lauren Lyle returns as Detective Inspector Karen Pirie. Her credits include Outlander, also known for filming in Fife and Perthshire. Fife locations in the series include Inverkeithing, Dysart, Kinghorn, Anstruther and North Fife.
Award winning Karen Pirie was one of ITV’s most-watched dramas.
FifeScreen+TayScreen, the screen office for the Councils of Fife and the Tay region, was delighted to support production with the locations team led by Rhian Howells who also operates Crew Network.
Hailed as “absolutely sings” by The Guardian and “a jewel in ITV’s crown” by The i, the show made waves in 2022 as one of ITV’s most-watched new dramas – drawing 6.6 million viewers for its premiere alone.
For some great behind the scenes (BTS) photos go to Dunfermline Press
Season 1 also shot in Fife – the Courier grabbed some great BTS shots.
A Chilling New Mystery
Adapted once again by writer and actor Emer Kenny, the story follows the haunting 1984 kidnapping of heiress Catriona Grant and her toddler son, Adam, in Fife. Despite widespread media coverage and a public outcry, the case went cold – until now. When the body of a man connected to the decades-old crime is discovered, Karen is tasked with reopening the case. What follows is a high-stakes investigation into a mystery that has confounded police for over 40 years. Under immense pressure from her superiors, the media, and Catriona’s powerful father, Sir Broderick Grant (James Cosmo – Braveheart, Game of Thrones), Karen must navigate political landmines, painful family secrets, and the shadows of the past.
A Stellar Cast, Past and Present
Lauren Lyle reprises her award-winning role alongside returning cast members Chris Jenks, Zach Wyatt, Steve John Shepherd, Rakhee Thakrar, and Emer Kenny. New faces joining the present-day storyline include James Fleet (Bridgerton), Tom Mannion (Mr Selfridge), and Tommaso Basili (Martin Scorsese Presents: The Saints). The 1980s storyline is brought vividly to life by Julia Brown (World on Fire), Mark Rowley (One Day), Kat Ronney (Dinosaur), and more – with filming taking place in Scotland and Malta.
Behind the Scenes
The series is executive produced by Simon Heath and Emma Luffingham (World Productions), alongside Emer Kenny and author Val McDermid. Gareth Bryn directs, with Amanda Blue helming episode three. Marcus Wilson returns as producer. The series was commissioned by ITV’s Polly Hill and overseen by Drama Commissioner Huw Kennair-Jones.
Take a look at the trailer.
Catch up with Karen Pirie Season 1 at ITVX.
