REMEMBER ME

THE TOURIST S2 Jamie Dornan returns for a second series of memory-addled mayhem…

‘So who am I again? Oh yeah, that guy from Fifty Shades…’

We didn’t have a Series 2 in mind,’ promises Harry Williams, the co-creator – together with brother Jack – of BBC1 hit The Tourist. Dropping in January 2022, this Australian-set thriller with Jamie Dornan racked up 11.4 million viewers, holding off all comers to remain the most watched TV drama of the year. ‘Obviously,’ adds Harry, ‘when something goes really well, you start talking more and more: “Ah, we love these characters. We love this world. We love this tone. We’d love to do more of it.”’

They got their wish. Picking up the story, Series 2 sees Dornan’s shady amnesiac Elliot return to his native Ireland after receiving a message that may help him unlock his past. Arriving there with Helen (Danielle Macdonald), the Outback cop from S1 with whom he’s romantically involved, events soon conspire violently against Elliot. ‘His attempt to discover who he is kicks off a whole other chain reaction,’ says Jack. ‘A journey that takes us into some strange avenues and a lot of different characters and surprises.’

Refreshingly, the Williamses weren’t looking to top the admittedly impressive action from S1, typified by Dornan’s character being hunted down Duel-style by a truck in episode one. ‘We love the set-pieces in Season 1, but if you try and top those it’s like, “Are you trying to do a James Bond movie with a lot less money?”’ says Jack. ‘And so what we tried to do is just tell something much more personal, and push the extreme tone that’s almost, at times, absurd or more comedic in dramatic moments.’

‘It’s a great time for something like this’

JACK WILLIAMS

Some of the comedy will come from Greg Larsen’s returning character Ethan, Helen’s former boyfriend, who follows her to Ireland to win her back. ‘He’s very funny and absurd, but somehow believable,’ adds Jack. Then there’s newcomer Detective Ruairi Slater (Conor MacNeill), who is something of the equivalent of law-enforcer Helen. And of course Elliot, whose humour Dornan taps into. ‘Just put him in any situation and he’s really funny,’ says Harry. ‘A version of Jamie that we’ve not really seen.’

As for getting Dornan back, the Williamses luckily had assistance from within. ‘It’s never easy to get someone who’s in demand like him back,’ says Jack. ‘I think we were helped by his wife. His wife loved the show!’ Now the brothers are just waiting to see if Series 2 will have the same reaction as before when it drops on New Year’s Day, like the most perfect hangover cure. ‘It does feel like it’s a great time for something like this,’ says Jack. ‘It’s got drama and surprise, and it can get dark. But there’s positivity and uplifting moments as well, which I think feels kind of perfect.’

THE TOURIST S2 IS ON BBC1 AND IPLAYER FROM 1 JANUARY.