BBC orders Season 2 of 'Bloodlands'

March 15 (UPI) -- The BBC has announced it ordered a second season of its Belfast-set mystery, Bloodlands.

Season 1 debuted last month in the United Kingdom.

"In Northern Ireland, the premiere episode had a 52 percent consolidated audience share (live and time-shifted viewing), making it the highest BBC drama to launch locally on record," the network said in a press release Sunday.

The four-part drama began streaming Monday in the United States on Acorn TV.

Chris Brandon will return to write the second season of Bloodlands.

The Missing and Cold Feet star James Nesbitt is onboard to reprise his role of Deputy Chief Inspector Tom Brannick.

"We've been overwhelmed by the audience response to Bloodlands and are thrilled to announce that the series is returning," Piers Wenger, director of BBC drama, said in a statement.

"Chris' scripts shine a light on to tensions in Northern Ireland, both historic and present day, and it's a testament to his skills as a dramatist, to a virtuoso performance from Jimmy Nesbitt and the care taken by all at HTM Television, that the series has been so beloved by audiences in Northern Ireland and throughout the United Kingdom."