Latest news with #TheDistantEcho
Scottish Sun
an hour ago
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
Is Karen Pirie based on a true story?
KAREN Pirie is now in its second season and once again has viewers hooked. The much-loved new series has left many viewers asking the same question – is it based on real-life events? 1 EastEnders actress Emer Kenny stars as River Wilde in Karen Pirie and also adapted the series from Val McDermid's crime novels Is Karen Pirie based on a true story? ITV's new drama Karen Pirie is not based on a true story. The series was adapted for television by actress and screenwriter, Emer Kenny – who also stars in the drama alongside the show's lead, Lauren Lyle. And while the characters are entirely fictional, Lyle explained what real-life research went into becoming Karen. Lyle said: "It was really interesting when we were filming, we started at St Andrews Cathedral and one night we had police escorts with us. "One of them was a 20-something blonde woman, and it turns out she was a detective from Methil, the same tiny town Karen is from! To me, she was the real Karen Pirie. "So we exchanged numbers and we stayed in touch, it was like looking into a mirror for Karen." Is Karen Pirie based on a book? Karen Pirie is the work of best-selling Scottish writer Val McDermid and the first season came from her book The Distant Echo, while the second season is adapted from Val's novel A Darker Domain. Val's novels have sold over 17 million copies worldwide, and this isn't the first time they have been adapted for the small screen. Her Tony Hill and Carol Jordan series were used as the basis for ITV crime drama Wire In The Blood. Who is in the second season of Karen Pirie? As mentioned above, Lauren Lyle is the lead actor and Emer Kenny, who adapted the novel for the ITV show, joins the cast as River Wilde. Other cast members in season two include: DC Jason 'Mint' Murray - Chris Jenks DS Phil Parhatka - Zach Wyatt River Wilde - Emer Kenny DCS Simon Lees - Steve John Shepherd DI Anderson - Thoren Ferguson Isla - Saskia Ashdown Catriona - Julia Brown Sir Broderick Grant - James Cosmo Lady Mary Grant - Frances Tomelty Fergus Sinclair - John Michie Bel Richmond - Rakhee Thakrar Urban Myths actor Zach Wyatt stars as DS Phil Parhatka with Jhon Lumsden as Ziggy Jnr who has made appearances in Doctors. Will there be a season three? Time will tell but you can keep up to date with all the best TV news and gossip with The Sun here.
Scottish Sun
an hour ago
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
Karen Pirie cast: Who appears in the ITV show?
Second series centres around a kidnapping and stunning locations DRAMA RETURNS Karen Pirie cast: Who appears in the ITV show? LAUREN Lyle is back for a second series of the Scottish murder-mystery whodunnit Karen Pirie. The gritty cop drama is produced by Line of Duty bosses and follows Detective Inspector Karen Pirie, freshly promoted after the events of series one. What is Karen Pirie about? Based on crime writer Val McDermid's novels, the new series is adapted from the Scottish novelist's 2008 page-turner, A Darker Domain. The first was based on Val's novel The Distant Echo. Teenager Rosie Duff was found brutally murdered in the Scottish university town of St Andrews in 1996 and three drunken students were the prime suspects. In the second season, Karen is put in charge of an infamous cold case from the 80s that has gained fresh scrutiny from senior police, the media, and the victim's relatives. In 1984, Catriona Grant, the daughter of a wealthy local oil tycoon, was abducted, along with her infant son. The ransom notes that followed stirred up a huge press storm, but the culprits were never traced and neither Catriona nor her son were seen again. But when, in the present day, a body is found with an undeniable link to the historic crime, Karen and her team must discover the truth under intense personal and professional pressure. Here's a look at the case who will be looking at uncovering the truth in the second series of Karen Pirie. Lauren Lyle as DS Karen Pirie 4 Lauren Lyle as Karen Pirie Outlander star Lauren Lyle again takes on the role of DC Karen Pirie. Lauren spent a great deal of time discovering her character with the best-selling author of the book, Val and with a detective she met. In the books, Karen is unfashionable and odd, and doesn't really mind what she looks like because her main focus is her job. That is why Lauren worked closely with costume designer Lesley Abernethy to make her look humble but cool at the same time. To get into character, she also explained how she got to understand the plot and the case like a detective. She said: "I read the scripts hundreds of times. "Like a detective, I got huge pieces of paper that I taped together and put on my wall, with details of the whole case. 'It's so complicated that I had to make sure I understood it, so I kept referencing back to this map on my wall. "There are so many suspects and I had to walk into each scene remembering if Karen really did suspect them or if she secretly trusted them.' Lauren appeared in Broken, alongside Sean Bean, in 2017, and played Jade Antoniak in Vigil. She has played Marshall in Outlander since 2017. Chris Jenks as DC Jason Murray 4 Chris Jenks portray Karen Pirie's partner, DC Jason Murray Credit: Rex The Sex Education star is back again. Portraying DC Jason Murray, Chris explained how his character brings humour to the show and how his relationship with Karen evolves through the episodes. He said: "Jason is really well-intentioned and good-natured, but just doesn't quite get things right a lot of the time. "He's desperately trying to hit the mark, but he just misses it. "He's maybe not the brightest detective on the team, but he kind of makes up for it in his hard work and through his relationship with Karen - they develop into a really good team and she helps him find his stride. "That relationship builds through the series - at first, they don't really see eye to eye and she's quite frustrated that she's been given such a potentially useless member of the team! "But he really shows his qualities as they move on and eventually he comes into his own, and really stands up for himself in the later episodes." Chris explained Jason to be a sort of mummy's boy who loves working out in the gym and enjoys doing basic things in life too such as going out and dating. Zach Wyatt as DS Phil Parhatka 4 Zach Wyatt as DS Phil Parhatka who is in a romantic relationship with Karen Pirie Zach Wyatt is known for his roles in The Witcher: Blood Origin, Blithe Spirit and Urban Myths. Now he takes on the role of detective Phil Parhatka, who was supposed to be promoted, but Karen took the position instead. Zach said: "He's a very diligent, driven detective - this job is all he has ever wanted to do and he's consumed by his work, he takes it very seriously but at a healthy level." Who else is in the second series? Who else is in the second series of Karen Pirie? James Cosmo (Braveheart) plays oil tycoon Sir Broderick Grant, while Julia Brown (The Last Kingdom) is victim Catriona Grant, daughter of Sir Broderick. 4 James Cosmo is in the second series and is best known for his role in Braveheart When is Karen Pirie season 2 released? The second series of Karen Pirie started at 8pm on ITV on Sunday, July 20. There are three episodes in the series, with the remaining two airing on Sunday, July 27 and Sunday, August 3. All episodes are available to stream on ITVX.
Metro
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Metro
Is ITV's crime thriller Karen Pirie based on a true story?
ITV's crime thriller series Karen Pirie is returning to living rooms across the UK on Sunday night for a second season after three years away. The drama series follows detective sergeant Karen Pirie (Lauren Lyle), who gets thrown into the investigation of an unsolved murder case 25 years on after the crime becomes the subject of a popular true crime podcast. Scottish investigator Karen is young and fearless and regularly shows that she isn't afraid to speak her mind if it gets her closer to discovering the truth. The first season was subtitled The Distant Echo and came in three parts during the autumn of 2022, while season two will be subtitled A Darker Domain. While The Distant Echo focused on the unsolved murder of a barmaid, A Darker Domain – also a three-parter – will focus on a kidnapping case from 1984. So, let's dig deeper… While its storylines don't seem all that far fetched compared to the crime stories we hear in the news every day, Karen Pirie is not actually based on a true story. The ITV drama was adapted for television by actress and screenwriter, Emer Kenny – who also stars in the three-part series as Karen's best friend and flatmate River. Writer Emer and lead star Lauren have previously spoken about the intense research that went into crafting the show and building the characters, even though they are fictional. 'It was really interesting when we were filming, we started at St Andrews Cathedral and one night we had police escorts with us,' said Lauren. 'One of them was a 20-something blonde woman, and it turns out she was a detective from Methil, the same tiny town Karen is from! To me, she was the real Karen Pirie. 'So we exchanged numbers and we stayed in touch, it was like looking into a mirror for Karen.' While the murder drama might be fictional, it is, in fact, based on a popular series of crime novels. The character of Karen Pirie was created by best-selling Scottish writer Val McDermid in her book The Distant Echo. But fans of the books shouldn't worry, as the producers of the drama had Val's full blessing to create a TV adaptation – the author herself was brought in to consult on the show's direction. EastEnders writer Emer has also promised that the series does end with a resolution to the murder case they are currently solving. More Trending But, Val has six books altogether and there's a seventh in the works for this series, so there is a possibility we could be seeing more of Karen on our screens in the future. 'There is a resolution to this particular story, but there's absolutely scope for Karen to continue solving crimes,' writer Emer said. 'There are six books and Val is writing a seventh, so there are all the possibilities there.' View More » Karen Pirie airs on Sunday, July 20, at 8pm . Got a story? If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@ calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we'd love to hear from you. MORE: 'A shark ate my arm and leg – I wouldn't change a thing' MORE: Two I'm A Celebrity legends 'set to return' for epic All Stars series MORE: 'One of the most important British dramas ever made' joins major streamer
Daily Record
11-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Record
Outlander star worlds away from Starz drama in gripping first-look at returning thriller
Lauren Lyle will be back on ITV later this year for another gripping cold case Outlander actress Lauren Lyle is set to reprise her role as Detective Karen Pirie in the highly anticipated second season of ITV's crime drama, as unveiled in a first-look preview. The series, which debuted in 2022, is based on Val McDermid's novels and follows the young detective as she delves into chilling cold cases. The initial three-part season, based on The Distant Echo, consisted of three two-hour episodes that explored a barmaid's murder from 25 years ago. Now promoted to Detective Inspector, Pirie will return later this year to lead another gripping investigation, this time based on McDermid's 2008 novel, A Darker Domain. A captivating synopsis for the upcoming series states: "After her bittersweet success in series one, Karen has been promoted to Detective Inspector and seemingly given the authority she has long been fighting for. "Just as she's getting into the swing of her powerful new role, she is assigned an infamous unsolved case that will put her under intense scrutiny; from her boss, from the media, and ultimately, from sinister forces that would rather the past stayed in the past", reports the Scottish Daily Express. "The 1984 case of Catriona and Adam Grant has confounded investigators and intrigued the public like no other. Catriona, the charming young heiress to a vast oil fortune, and her two year old son Adam, were brutally kidnapped at gunpoint outside a fish and chip shop in Fife. "The ransom notes that followed stirred up an uncontrollable press storm, but when the culprits fell silent, the police faltered, and Catriona and Adam were never seen again. "Now, a man's body has been discovered, with indisputable links to the original kidnap. With the first piece of evidence in decades, Karen must assemble an unbeatable team alongside her sincere and lovable sidekick DC Jason 'Mint' Murray (Chris Jenks) and the brilliant – but romantically complicated – DS Phil Parhatka (Zach Wyatt). "With the international renown of the kidnap and the constant pressure from Catriona's father, Sir Broderick Grant (James Cosmo), the team take on the biggest challenge of their careers to date. As Karen delves deeper into what happened in the autumn of 1984, political grudges and painful secrets reveal themselves, and it soon becomes clear... the past is far from dead." The first-look images promise another must-watch thriller with the Outlander star front and centre. Karen Pirie season two is expected to be another major hit for ITV following its lengthy three-year hiatus. A staggering 6.6 million viewers tuned into the premiere in 2022. Returning from the first series are Jenks and Wyatt plus Steve John Shepherd, Rakhee Thakrar and Emer Kenny. Kenny also returns as writer and executive producer. Jack Stewart, a fellow Outlander star, is set to join the cast for the second series, alongside a stellar line-up including Julia Brown, Mark Rowley, Bridgerton's James Fleet and Mr Selfridge's Tom Mannion. Karen Pirie season 2 premieres this July on ITV1 and ITVX and on Britbox in the USA and Canada this October.
Daily Record
04-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Record
Outlander star returns for 'epic' season 2 of 'best police drama' based in Scotland
The Scottish crime drama is set to return for season 2 with Outlander star Lauren Lyle reprising her role. Outlander sensation Lauren Lyle, known to fans as Marsali in the Starz fantasy hit, is poised for a television comeback. The star, fresh from her role in Netflix's Toxic Town, will reprise her lead role in ITV's crime thriller Karen Pirie. Hailed as 'the best police drama this year' upon its 2022 debut, Karen Pirie is anticipated to make an 'epic' return for a second season, with the air date still under wraps. Lyle will return as DS Karen Pirie, the tenacious young detective at the helm of a reopened 25 year old murder case that has piqued the fascination of true crime podcast aficionados in the initial season. Adapted from Val McDermid's acclaimed Inspector Karen Pirie series, season one brought to life the author's novel The Distant Echo, delving into the unresolved murder of teenage barmaid Rosie Duff, reports the Scottish Daily Express. In its second outing, focusing on McDermid's A Darker Domain, viewers will see Karen unraveling the mysterious 1984 abduction of heiress Catriona Grant (portrayed by Julia Brown) and her son. The official synopsis delves deep into the heart of the story: "In the turmoil of 1984, when young heiress to the Grant oil fortune Catriona Grant is kidnapped at gunpoint with her young son, it's assumed that the motivation is political. "The huge investigation creates an uncontrollable press storm... but when the culprits unexpectedly fall silent, the case runs cold. Cat and Adam are never seen again. "Forty years later, when a man's body is discovered, Karen Pirie is assigned to reopen the case in complete secrecy. "With the first key piece of evidence in decades, Karen must try to unlock one of Scotland's most infamous mysteries, whilst battling increasing media attention. "What happened to Cat Grant and why do sinister forces want the secrets of her disappearance to remain hidden?" The ensemble cast for the much-anticipated return of Karen Pirie is nothing short of stellar, featuring talents from across the television spectrum. Among them are Outlander's and World on Fire's Brown, Sex Education's Chris Jenks, The Witcher: Blood Origin's Zach Wyatt, Harry Potter's Steve John Shepherd, and Unforgotten's Frances Tomelty. Joining the lineup is Lyle's Outlander colleague Jack Stewart, known for his portrayal of Charles Morgan in the series, who will also embody the character of young Fergus. Emer Kenny, who has made her mark both as a writer and executive producer, as well as through her acting roles in EastEnders and Father Brown, takes on the role of River Wilde in the drama. Reflecting on the show's comeback, Kenny shared her thoughts on the unique connection she feels with the character of Karen Pirie. "When she's laughing, I'm laughing. When she's stressed, I'm stressed. When she turns to drink... well, you get the idea," she said. Kenny expressed her excitement about bringing the character back to viewers, now promoted to Detective Inspector, exuding more authority, confidence, and sporting some of those signature sweater vests. "We have a dazzling cast, an heroic crew, and epic plot-twists. If Karen Pirie isn't already your favourite detective, I promise she will be soon," she added. Karen Pirie season 1 is available to stream on ITVX. Outlander season 7 is available to buy on Digital and is streaming on MGM+ via Prime Video.
