Bodyguard season 2: Richard Madden on not rushing show renewal

Here’s another edition of sad-but-true television facts: Bodyguard season 2 is still not officially happening. Everyone in the known galaxy seems to think it’s coming, so what we’re dealing with now is mostly a measure of all of our collective patience being tested while creator Jed Mercurio does what he can to tinker with the story and figure out the right way to move forward.

Also, admittedly everyone involved has been rather busy. Richard Madden’s had some other projects on his slate, while Mercurio is also the man behind another hit series in Line of Duty — which is currently airing its latest batch of episodes over on BBC One. There will be a time when the skies clear and there is a moment to bring the show back; whenever that does happen, the network will likely be thrilled given that the first season is one of the biggest scripted hits that the BBC has had in a generation. It’s that rare original property that got people out there watching, and it was that perfect combination of a political thriller, a torrid romance, and also a character study with beautiful dark notes.

We know that Madden has discussed the show’s season 2 prospects in about a zillion different outlets as of late, but we do appreciate some of his latest comments via Deadline. In these, he tries to add some larger context in the wait between seasons, claiming that it is more of a deliberate choice to let the characters within this show grow and change following what happened with Julia Montague and the conspiracy around her:

“One thing in particularity that me and Jed discussed straight after the show came was that let’s not rush this. … I think, with the nature of the story, to have this gap where you let David grow a bit, I think it’s going to be really useful.”

When Bodyguard does return, no doubt the stakes will be different. David Budd’s not just some fly-on-the-wall PPO anymore; he’s someone with a name behind him and notoriety. There’s a reputation in the process that cannot be fully ignored. Who is going to even want to take him on after some of what he went through? It’s probably someone who cares so much about his qualifications that they are willing to ignore the negative aspects or someone who actually covets attention and some of what will be inevitably coming their way next.

So when could season 2 actually premiere?

Unless filming starts tomorrow, we don’t see it in 2019. We’re going to expect a launch in 2020, with maybe production happening a little bit later this year if the scripts are set. We’re starting to think that Mercurio is going to become a TV juggler, with him taking on Bodyguard at one point and then Line of Duty after that.

While you do wait for some more news on this show, our suggestion is really quite simple: Be sure to visit the link here right now.

What do you want to see next when it comes to Bodyguard season 2? Be sure to share some of your thoughts/hopes on that subject in the comments, and remember to come back soon with some more news before long. (Photo: BBC One.)