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ITV renews Karen Pirie for a third season, adapting The Skeleton Road

ITV has confirmed a third season of Scottish crime drama Karen Pirie, with Lauren Lyle returning and adapting Val McDermid's The Skeleton Road as six one-hour episodes. Filming begins in the new year; no premiere date is set.

2 outlets · 0L · 2C · 0R First reported Account updated
Image: Digital Spy
Image: Radio Times

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The story, neutrally told

Centre · 2ITV has renewed the Scottish crime drama Karen Pirie for a third season, with Lauren Lyle returning in the title role. Centre · 2The new season adapts Val McDermid's 2014 novel The Skeleton Road, following the first season's source, The Distant Echo, and the second's, A Darker Domain. Centre · 1It will be written by Scottish screenwriter Gillian Roger Park, who takes over from Emer Kenny, who wrote the first two series; Park is known for The Bombing of Pan Am 103 and The Young Offenders.

Centre · 2The format changes: season three will have six one-hour episodes, whereas the first two seasons, released in 2022 and 2025, had three episodes each, described by Digital Spy as feature-length and by Radio Times as 90 minutes. Centre · 2According to ITV's synopsis, the story begins in Edinburgh when a man's remains are found in the roof of a derelict building; DI Karen Pirie learns he fled the 1990s Balkans conflict for Scotland to marry a now-famous author, and uncovers dangerous secrets and a cycle of revenge. Centre · 2Lyle will also be an executive producer on the season, joining a producing team that includes World Productions CEO Simon Heath, Park and McDermid.

Centre · 2Radio Times reports that filming begins in the new year; no premiere date has been announced. Centre · 2Lyle said playing Pirie is "one of the most delicious thrills of my career"; Park said Pirie faces "her darkest and most challenging case yet"; ITV commissioning editor Huw Kennair Jones promised "another brilliant season", and McDermid called the novel a favourite with readers.

Every sentence links to the reporting it rests on. The pill in front of each says where its sources sit: Left, Centre or Right when one side supplies at least half of them, Mixed when they are evenly split. The number is how many outlets it cites.

Left0 outlets

No left outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.

Centre2 outlets

Framing
Both outlets present a positive renewal announcement built on ITV's press release and cast and crew quotes, with a fan-friendly tone.
Emphasis
Digital Spy stresses the format change and the gap between seasons; Radio Times adds series background, cast and the writer handover.
Leaves out or plays down
Neither reports viewing figures or reasons for the renewal, and neither gives a premiere date.
Charged language
“brilliant”“hit crime drama”“acclaimed drama”
For example
“If you're a fan of Scottish detective dramas, then you're in luck” — Digital Spy
“ITV has confirmed that hit crime drama Karen Pirie will be returning for a third season” — Radio Times

Right0 outlets

No right outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.