Channel 4 confirms transmission date for No Offence

Paul Abbott’s No Offence is one of the more engaging British crime dramas out there, and we’ve known for a while that series three was imminent.

Now we know when it’s going to start.

DI Viv Deering (Joanna Scanlan) and the Friday Street team face off against their most formidable antagonist yet: the far-right. The series opens amidst a contentious mayoral election fought between incumbent liberal Kashif Hassan (Ace Bhatti) and political underdog and local-girl-done-good Caroline McCoy (Lisa McGrillis). DI Viv Deering and the Friday Street team are drawn into their rivalry when a mayoral hustings between the pair becomes a flashpoint for deadly violence as assassin Beckett (Darren Connolly) enters the political fray. In the aftermath of the fatal shooting, Friday Street must infiltrate the murky world of the far-right and their wealthy and powerful benefactors, to catch the killer. The Friday Street team search for the killer amid the usual chaos, with outrageous stories that confound our heroes including teen drug scandals, warring bridesmaids and halal meat poisoning.

No Offence: Thursday 13th September, 9pm, Channel 4

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Channel 4 confirms No Offence series two transmission date

Channel 4’s No Offence was one of the hits of 2014, thanks largely to two main components: writer and creator Paul Abbott’s unwavering skill in, well, writing (especially dialogue); and Joanna Scanlon’s fantastic turn as force of nature DI Viv Deering. After the personal devastation at the end of series one, series two now looms on the horizon, and we now know when it’s going to be playing out.

No Offence hires Deutschland 83 director for season two

Paul Abbott’s award-winning cop show, No Offence, is about to start filming its second series, and the show has hired a director who has gained critical acclaim for a show that has also appeared on Channel 4. The fifth episode of the seven-part series two is to be directed by Deutschland 83’s Samira Radsi – her first British drama project.

Season two of Paul Abbott’s No Offence starts shooting for Channel 4; Sarah Solemani joins cast

I enjoyed No Offence when it premiered on Channel 4 last year for many reasons, but one of them was the force of nature that was DI Viv Deering. Paul Abbott, who writes female characters very well, did it again with Deering, and Joanna Scanlon was terrific as the matriarchal copper. It wasn’t perfect, but it was a fun, interesting watch and the good news is that series two is on its way, with new cast members to boot.

Review: No Offence (S1 E3/8), Tuesday 19th May, Channel 4

It’s not often a wedding cake is decorated with a swastika, but then it’s not often the bridegroom is nicked on suspicion of a murderous racist arson attack at his wedding reception. DI Deering doesn’t hesitate to take a bite out of the fascist fondant before bringing proceedings to a halt, and suspect Jimmy Webb has a poor alibi – he says he was on his stag do, and too pissed to carry out the attack.

Review: No Offence (S1 E2/8), Tuesday 12th May, Channel 4

After a hugely enjoyable first episode and the introduction of some endearing, fearsome coppers, we were onto the second story of this eight-part, Paul Abbott series. I’ve read some reviews around the place that suggest that No Offence doesn’t know what it is quite supposed to be – on the one hand there’s incendiary comedy, and on the other hand there’s some traditional procedural stuff. Some argue that it’s neither one thing nor the other – too light to be a crime drama; too dark to be a comedy. I would say that at the moment the balance is just about right, and it’s precisely because of the dark humour that marks out the show as something refreshing, certainly in a procedural genre that sometimes disappears up its own behind. Let’s see how episode two goes.

Review: No Offence (S1 E1/8), Tuesday 5th May, Channel 4

There’s no doubt that Paul Abbott is one of the country’s best writers, and he’s had previous when it’s come to crime drama. He created the exceptional State Of Play (still one of the very best after all this time), US series Touching Evil and the transgender hitman series Hit & Miss. But he’s perhaps best known for the long-running Shameless, which showcased all his best-known characteristics – warmth, vibrancy, bawdy, rough humour and Hadron-amounts of kinetic energy. His new series, No Offence, managed to meld together everything he’s ever done before.

Interview: Paul Abbott, No Offence

Tonight (Tuesday 5th May) one of the country’s best writers is back with a new series on Channel 4, this time set in the realms of the police force. No Offence features a team of coppers who do battle with drug labs, arsonists, neo-Nazis and notorious murderers. The team is led by the dizzyingly capable but unquestionably unhinged DI Vivienne Deering (Scanlan). But when a particularly twisted serial killer emerges it leaves even the most hardened of these seasoned coppers reeling. Flanked by her right-hand women – the compassionate but impulsive DC Dinah Kowalska (Cassidy) and the recently (surprisingly) promoted DS Joy Freers (Roach) – Deering and her team must crack this case by whatever unconventional means possible. Because amid all the assorted low life; the pimps, the petty thieves, and downright nasty bastards they’ve dealt with, this is their most disturbing case yet, one that will touch their lives in ways they could never expect. The Guardian called it ‘gobby’. I’d go along with that. Anyway, here’s Paul Abbott talking about his new show…

Filming begins on Paul Abbott’s No Offence

For my money, 2003’s State Of Play was one of the best home-grown dramas of the Noughties. John Simm, David Morrissey, Bill Nighy, Kelly Macdonald, James McAvoy revelled in a noirish story of political corruption, journalism and mystery. It launched the career of Paul Abbott – who then went onto create Shameless – and now the celebrated writer is back, with a new Channel 4 drama, No Offence.