| Karen Pirie | |
|---|---|
 Title card | |
| Genre | |
| Based on | Inspector Karen Pirie series by Val McDermid |
| Written by | Emer Kenny |
| Directed by | Gareth Bryn |
| Starring |
|
| Composer | Stephanie Taylor |
| Country of origin |
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| Original language |
|
| No. of seasons | 2 |
| No. of episodes | 6 |
| Production | |
| Executive producers |
|
| Producer | Clare Kerr |
| Production locations |
|
| Cinematography |
|
| Editor | Gareth Bryn |
| Camera setup | Single-camera |
| Running time | 120 minutes x 3 |
| Production company | World Productions |
| Original release | |
| Network | ITV |
| Release | 25 September 2022 – present |
Karen Pirie is a British crime drama television series based on the Inspector Karen Pirie series of novels by Val McDermid. The first series was screened on ITV in September–October 2022, and the second series in July–August 2025.
Plot
[edit]In the first series, a young detective sergeant, Karen Pirie, is put in charge of what appears to be a twenty-five year-old cold case. An influential podcast series focuses on the case, the unsolved murder of a barmaid, and Pirie is tasked with re-examining it.
Cast
[edit]- Lauren Lyle as DS/DI Karen Pirie
- Chris Jenks as DC/DS Jason "Mint" Murray
- Zach Wyatt as DS Phil Parhatka
- Emer Kenny as Dr. River Wilde
- Rakhee Thakrar as Bel Richmond
- Steve John Shepherd as DCS Simon Lees
Series 1
[edit]- Gilly Gilchrist as DI Barney MacLennan
- Stuart Bowman as Chief Supt Jimmy Lawson
- Kevin Mains as Young (DI) Jimmy Lawson
- Gemma McElhinney as PC Janice Hogg
- Anna Russell-Martin as Rosie Duff
- Ariyon Bakare as Alex Gilbey
- Buom Tihngang as Young Alex Gilbey
- Michael Sheffer as Tom "Weird" Mackie
- Jack Hesketh as Young Tom 'Weird' Mackie
- Alec Newman as Ziggy Malkiewicz
- Jhon Lumsden as Young Ziggy Malkiewicz
- Bobby Rainsbury as Grace Galloway
Series 2
[edit]- James Cosmo as Sir Broderick Grant
- Jamie Michie as Young Broderick Grant
- Frances Tomelty as Lady Mary Grant
- Madeleine Worrall as Young Mary Grant
- Julia Brown as Catriona 'Cat' Grant
- John Michie as Fergus Sinclair
- Saskia Ashdown as DC Isla Stark
- Mark Rowley as Young Mick Prentice
- Conor Berry as Young Andy Kerr
- Tom Mannion as Andy Kerr/Mathias
- Stuart Campbell as Kevin Campbell
Episodes
[edit]Overview
[edit]| Series | Episodes | Originally released | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| First released | Last released | |||
| 1 | 3 | 25 September 2022 | 9 October 2022 | |
| 2 | 3 | 20 July 2025 | 3 August 2025 | |
Series 1 (2022)
[edit]| No. overall | No. in series | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | "The Distant Echo: Part 1" | Gareth Bryn | Emer Kenny Val McDermid | 25 September 2022 |
| 2 | 2 | "The Distant Echo: Part 2" | Gareth Bryn | Emer Kenny Val McDermid | 2 October 2022 |
| 3 | 3 | "The Distant Echo: Part 3" | Gareth Bryn | Emer Kenny Val McDermid | 9 October 2022 |
Series 2 (2025)
[edit]| No. overall | No. in series | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 1 | "A Darker Domain: Part 1" | Gareth Bryn | Emer Kenny Val McDermid | 20 July 2025 |
| 5 | 2 | "A Darker Domain: Part 2" | Gareth Bryn | Emer Kenny Val McDermid | 27 July 2025[a] |
| 6 | 3 | "A Darker Domain: Part 3" | Gareth Bryn | Emer Kenny Val McDermid | 3 August 2025 |
Production
[edit]Series 1
[edit]Series one is based on the first novel in a series by Val McDermid, called The Distant Echo.[1][2] Emer Kenny wrote the adaptation for television.[3] In May 2021, it was announced that Lauren Lyle would star as the title character.[4] The producers are the same as for the series Line of Duty and Bodyguard.[1][5] Series one was directed by Gareth Bryn.[6]
Series 2
[edit]Series two is based on the second novel in McDermid's series, A Darker Domain, and is co-written by Emer Kenny and Gillian Roger Park. It consists of three 90-minute episodes.[3] It was filmed in Scotland and Malta.[7]
Release
[edit]The first series began on ITV on 25 September 2022 and concluded on 9 October 2022. On 21 February 2023, it was announced the series had been commissioned for a second series. The second series started filming in early 2024, and began to be aired on 20 July 2025.[3]
Reception
[edit]Ratings
[edit]Series one averaged 4.82 million viewers.[citation needed]
Critical response
[edit]Series 1
[edit]On Rotten Tomatoes, the series has an approval rating of 91% based on 11 reviews, with an average rating of 8.6/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "Clever and twisty, Karen Pirie refreshingly revamps the traditional grizzled detective procedural by putting a young woman on the case."[8]
Writing in The Guardian, Lucy Mangan praised the show for its humour, confidence, and charm, as well as its suspenseful plot that keeps the viewer guessing until the very end. Mangan gave the show 4 out of 5 stars.[9] Sean O'Grady also gave the show 4 out of 5 stars in The Independent, writing that the "tartan noir drama lifts itself above the usual run of these cold case thrillers because the story is told in a refreshingly cohesive way." O'Grady especially praises the work of Lyle saying that she "is excellent as the undervalued, underestimated officer who succeeds where the men have failed."[10] Abha Shah is less enthusiastic, giving the show 3 out of 5 stars in the London Evening Standard. Shah writes: "It’s a decent enough plot but the execution is as bungled as the police work Pirie finds herself uncovering. There’s an element of finesse that’s missing, a shame considering the production team’s CV."[11]
Awards
[edit]For writing the first episode, Emer Kenny was nominated for the Edgar Allan Poe Award for Best Episode in a TV Series.[12]
At the BAFTA Scotland Awards in November 2023, Lyle was awarded Best Actress Television for Karen Pirie and the Audience Award for Favourite Scot on Screen.[13]
See also
[edit]- Wire in the Blood, 2002 TV series, also based on characters created by Val McDermid.
Notes
[edit]- ^ Scheduled to air at 20:00 BST on 27 July 2025 but was delayed for an hour due to UEFA Women's Euro 2025 final between England and Spain going into extra time.
References
[edit]- ^ a b "Karen Pirie: Release date, cast & latest news for ITV crime adaptation". Radio Times. Retrieved 10 January 2023.
- ^ "Karen Pirie review – this female-led crime drama absolutely sings". the Guardian. 25 September 2022. Retrieved 10 January 2023.
- ^ a b c Hibbs, James (21 February 2023). "Karen Pirie season 2 release date speculation: Plot and latest news". Radio Times. Retrieved 13 January 2024.
- ^ "Lauren Lyle to star as Karen Pirie in ITV cold case murder drama 'Karen Pirie'". itv.com. 11 May 2021. Retrieved 6 November 2021.
- ^ "'My dad didn't sleep, he was so excited': the ITV drama that's rewriting the rules of crime TV". The Guardian. 23 September 2022. Retrieved 10 January 2023.
- ^ "BAFTA Scotland Awards: Aftersun, Mayflies, Karen Pirie, Frankie Boyle and Susan Calman in the running". The Scotsman. 11 October 2023. Retrieved 28 July 2025.
- ^ "First look at 'Karen Pirie' series two, filmed on location in Scotland and Malta". Screen. Retrieved 28 July 2025.
- ^ "Karen Pirie: Season 1". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved 17 July 2023.
- ^ Mangan, Lucy (25 September 2022). "Karen Pirie review – this female-led crime drama absolutely sings". The Guardian. Retrieved 11 September 2023.
- ^ O'Grady, Sean (25 September 2022). "Lauren Lyle is excellent in the refreshingly cohesive Karen Pirie – review". The Independent. Retrieved 11 September 2023.
- ^ Shah, Abha (25 September 2022). "Karen Pirie review: all the polish and dialogue of a live-action Scooby Doo". Evening Standard. Retrieved 11 September 2023.
- ^ 2023 Edgar Allan Poe Award Nominations, 19 January 2023, retrieved 4 February 2023
- ^ "Winners announced: 2023 BAFTA Scotland Awards". BAFTA. 19 November 2023. Retrieved 13 January 2024.