Sky has confirmed a second season of the thriller Under Salt Marsh, with Rafe Spall's character taking centre stage in a remote Scottish location. The first series, which aired in January 2026 and was filmed in Wales, became Sky's most successful entertainment programme of the year so far, drawing a 28-day viewership of 2.5 million.
New Setting and Lead
In the new season, Spall's character "moves to a remote Scottish mining village sinking under the weight of its own secrets, where a murder investigation brings him closer to the truth about his own past". Creator Claire Oakley said she was delighted to bring the series to another distinctive corner of the UK "where we explore a gripping mystery and unearth buried secrets". She added: "Rafe Spall brought Eric Bull's idiosyncrasies to life so brilliantly in the first series that taking his character onwards is an absolute pleasure."
Meghan Lyvers, Sky's managing director for scripted originals, described Spall's character as the ideal focus for the new series, commenting: "Rafe brought such complexity and humanity to Bull in the first series, and it's fantastic to have him back at the heart of this new story."
Production and Cast
Filming for the second instalment is set to get underway in Scotland in 2027, with the series available on Sky and NOW across the UK, Ireland and Italy. The full cast has yet to be revealed. Elwen Rowlands, executive producer at Little Door productions, said: "We're incredibly proud to be returning to the world of Under Salt Marsh with a brilliant new story in Claire Oakley's distinctive, atmospheric drama.
"It's been hugely exciting to see audiences respond to the series' rich sense of place, complex characters and compelling storytelling. With Rafe Spall returning as Detective Eric Bull, this new series introduces an engaging new community and mystery, while expanding the emotional and cinematic world that made the first series so special."
First Series Recap
The debut season was set in the fictional North Wales village of Morfa Halen, with Yellowstone star Kelly Reilly playing Jackie Ellis, a teacher and former detective who discovers the body of her eight-year-old pupil. The discovery unearthed an unsolved case from three years prior involving Jackie's niece, Nessa, whose disappearance ended Ellis's policing career. Her former partner, Detective Eric Bull, was brought in to lead the inquiry.
Convinced the two cases were linked, Ellis and Bull joined forces to expose the dark secrets of Morfa Halen before an incoming storm could destroy the evidence. Fans praised the first series on IMDb, with one writing: "Kelly Reilly leads the charge with an impressive performance rich with the messy pitfalls of grief, enduring love, and dogged determination. She and Rafe Spall unsurprisingly carry the show as two famously talented leads with great chemistry." Another called it "a superb drama" with "believable" characters and "universally outstanding" acting, adding: "It's a bit like Broadchurch and is not of dissimilar standard."
One viewer described it as a "masterpiece of atmosphere and performance", writing: "Under Salt Marsh is a stunning achievement. The writing is rich and compelling, the scenery is wild and breathtaking, and the cinematography is beautiful throughout. Kelly Reilly is phenomenal, emotionally raw, deeply nuanced, and completely captivating. This is gripping, thoughtful, immersive television at its very best."
