Season 2 of The Outlaws to once again feature Bristol ‘in all its glory’

The Outlaws are returning to the small screen in June, but before then there was a special preview screening of season two at the Watershed featuring a few special guests.

The second season catches up with the motley crew of seven people on community sentence as they attempt to navigate their sentences and the criminal underworld.

Speaking at the Watershed on Tuesday evening as part of an event organised by the Royal Television Society, co-creator Stephen Merchant said that filming in his home town of Bristol was very special.

“It’s always about trying to capture the DNA of the city and trying to make it a character in the show. It’s a very visual city,” said Merchant, who plays lawyer Greg.

“It’s so hilly, so it gives you great depth. You get such interesting angles, you can feature it layer upon layer, and there’s so much variety from leafy Clifton to the suburbs, to the inner city bits, so it has so much texture and flavour.”

Stephen Merchant plays Greg and Jessica Gunning plays Dianne in The Outlaws season 2 – photo: BBC

An unlikely concoction of thriller and comedy, the second series of The Outlaws executes a balance of the two genres impressively, shifting between scenes just before the audience has enough time to feel too sorry for each character’s unfortunate predicaments – and yes, there are many predicaments.

Merchant once again worked with Boston-born gang member-turned-writer, Elgin James on the script for season two, which was filmed back to back in Bristol with the first series.

It was Elgin’s secret passion for literature that inspired Merchant to explore the hilarities, humanity and hypocrisy of the gritty underworld of crime.

Rhianne Barreto returns as Rani and Gamba Cole is Christian – photo: BBC

Questions in the subsequent Q&A chaired by Chino Odimba inevitably turned to Bristol, the city being wonderfully present throughout the first episode of the second season. Each of the cast and crew had something to say about the city.

“Bristol is like the ninth main character of the show,” said Jessica Gunning, who plays the brilliant Diane, a community service supervisor and aspiring police officer.

“It looks so great on screen. I’m so grateful the world is getting to see it in all its glory.”

Cast and crew of the Outlaws at the Watershed, in conversation with Chino Odimba – photo: Mia Vines Booth

Executive producer Luke Alkin spoke about the unique atmosphere and culture of the city: “It’s a strange thing that Bristol hasn’t got to be seen that much on screen because it looks great.”

Even the show’s music is local, with musicians Dan Jones and Stew Jackson – who have worked with Massive Attack, bringing the music of Bristol to the soundtrack.

It may still be surreal to see Christopher Walken sitting on a bench close to the Lloyds Amphitheatre but it’s no surprise that The Outlaws is shot in Bristol.

Stephen Merchant’s dad is a Bristol local currently fighting to save a former cinema, actor Gamba Cole who plays Ben is from the city and Jessica Gunning has relatives living here.

The second series of The Outlaws begins on BBC One on June 5.

Main photo: BBC

Read more: What next for troubled community centre featured in ‘The Outlaws’?

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