Telemystery: The Bletchley Circle Renewed for a Second Season

We are embarrassed to admit that we completely missed watching The Bletchley Circle, which aired late last month on our local PBS station. (Only the third and final episode of the season is currently available on demand, and we really, really want to start at the beginning.)

Fortunately, there were enough viewers of the series that didn't follow our lead such that ITV has renewed it for a second season of four episodes.

Based on the lives of four extraordinary and brilliant women, who worked at top-secret HQ Bletchley Park during World War II, the second season will feature two self-contained stories each played out across two 60-minute episodes written by series creator Guy Burt. Here is the storyline from the network:

Set a year on from the first series in 1953, the ladies are reunited for their second case in the first two-part story when former Bletchley Park colleague, Alice Merren (Hattie Morahan) is accused of murder. Jean (Julie Graham) methodically sets to work examining the evidence and is intent on helping Alice after a distinguished scientist is discovered shot through the heart in the study of his home with Alice, gun in hand, standing over him.

The evidence is stacked against her, but Jean's instincts tell her differently and she goes to visit Alice in Holloway Prison. Alice is quietly resigned to the fact she will hang. But why has she offered no defence and why does she refuse to talk?

Jean calls on the ladies to reunite, but will they share her faith in Alice's innocence?

In the second of the two-part stories Millie's (Rachael Stirling) black market dealings with charming rogue Jasper lands her in jeopardy when she becomes caught up in the murky world of people trafficking, bringing her face to face with hard-bitten Marta, a Maltese businesswoman whose family isn't to be crossed.

Abducted by Marta's henchmen, Millie is shocked by what she discovers. But with her own life under threat can Millie escape and help the imprisoned young women, whose misery her "innocent" side-business has helped fund. And will the rest of the Circle forgive and help her?