Mean streets

Adelayo Adedayo and Martin Freeman return as Liverpool cops battling to hold their lives together

- SEAN MARLAND

NEW CRIME DRAMA

The Responder Sunday, 9pm, BBC1 (box set, BBC iPlayer)

It’s been more than two years since Martin Freeman wowed viewers as troubled Liverpool cop Chris Carson in BBC1’s The Responder.

The actor won plaudits for his performance in the first season of the gritty crime drama – penned by former Merseyside Police officer Tony Schumacher – which followed the embattled night-time response officer as his world fell apart under the weight of his own corruption and a crumbling marriage.

This week, a five-part second season picks up Chris’ story – and things haven’t improved much. His estranged wife Kate (MyAnna Buring) has moved in with his police colleague Raymond Mullen (Warren Brown), and Chris is worried about his relationship with his young daughter Tilly (Romi Hyland-Rylands). He’s also caught up in murky dealings involving local drug kingpin Franny (Adam Nagaitis) and senior officer DI Deborah Barnes (Amaka Okafor).

Meanwhile, Chris’ former cop partner Rachel Hargreaves (Adelayo Adedayo) is disillusioned with her job and traumatised after she suffered at the hands of her abusive boyfriend. She’s now paired with another copper on patrol, but Rachel is starting to realise she’s got more in common with Chris than she’d ever want to admit.

We met up with Freeman, 52, at a London hotel for a cup of tea and a chat about the new season…

Where do we find Chris as the new season starts?