Murder Island on Channel 4 has been a surprise hit, and fans desperately want a series 2.
We’re all for it because we love crime dramas and we love trying to solve mysteries, and this has kept us guessing and kept us involved.
But here’s what we’d like to see in a second series.
Murder Island series 2: Why it’s a win-win
One of the genius moves Channel 4 made was to hire award-winning, best-selling crime writer Ian Rankin to come up with the plot.
And the creator of the Rebus series came up with a doozy.
Read more: Murder Island: Which books has Ian Rankin written and who are the show’s experts?
In Murder Island the body of Charly Hendricks has been discovered at ‘the Manse’.
Now it’s down to four teams of amateur detectives to work with actors playing police officers and other characters to find the murderer.
Playing detective
Like any good crime writer, Ian has come with a layered story, which is easily adaptable for TV.
We’re given character details, and asked to look into the victim’s family, connections and lifestyle.
Just like a real case.
It’s been part parlour game, part those books you got as a kid where you could choose an alternative ending.
Crucially, it lets us the viewer play along at home – move over Vera Stanhope, Jimmy Perez, Ted Hastings and every other TV detective you can think of.
Why Channel 4 should hire crime writers for series 2
But with the end of series one now sharply in focus, I really do hope Channel 4 continues with not only the show but also the format.
What I’d like to see is another top crime author hired to come up with the story for series two.
Ian Rankin in a fine writer and has done a great job here, but there are so many amazing crime novelists in the UK I’d like to see more of them involved in ongoing series.
Yes, I said ongoing.
Why couldn’t the channel get, say, Mark Billingham – another best-seller and someone brilliant at his craft – to come up with the story for series two?
And then how about Val McDiarmid for series three, Lee Child for series four, Peter Robinson for series five… the list goes on, and the series could go on.
How about Ann Cleeves?
And, let’s face it, Ann Cleeves should really be involved at some point.
The creator of Vera, Shetland and now The Long Call, she’s no stranger to island-based and she’d be brilliant at coming up with something fiendish for future series.
And, if you want to run away with things, why not set it in other parts of the world, too?
You could get Michael Connelly to create a story set in the US, Yrsa Sigurðardóttir for Iceland… the list goes on.
Hoping for more
What I’m basically trying to say is I want more of this.
Why? It’s such a simple idea, and so well-executed.
And I really do hope Channel 4 employs another top crime writer to come onboard.
And even though it has kept schtum about a second series we’re hoping for more.
Read more: Murder Island viewers bemoan the ‘school drama group’ acting scenes
After all, if the story’s rubbish viewers will turn off.
I’d much rather have someone experienced at writing crime stories than not to be involved.
Now, who killed Charly?
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