Repeat offenders: Series two of Young Offenders gets go-ahead

Our favourite Cork hooligans are set to re-offend all over again.

A second series of The Young Offendersis on the way after BBC executives confirmed they were commissioning six further episodes.

In an unusual move and a major coup for the TV spin-off of the movie hit, it has emerged that a new series was greenlit before the first episode even aired in the UK. The series will debut on RTÉ 2 tonight.

“It’s so brilliant,” said actress Hilary Rose, who plays Conor’s mother in the film and series. “We’ve known for a little bit, the fact that they decided to do season two before it even went to air… nobody had seen it in public.

“Normally what happens is they might wait for one episode to go to air and see if they get a good reaction. Or they might wait until the full entire season has gone out. They’ll look at ratings and things like that, and make a decision based on that.

“For it to be commissioned before it’s even gone out, before any sense of ratings or feedback from the public, means that they’re confident in the project,” she added.

The second series will shoot on location in and around the city and follow the ongoing exploits of Conor and Jock, their families and classmates. Dates for filming have yet to be finalised.

Producers are hopeful that the show will follow in the success of Channel 4’s Derry Girls, giving a further boost to the Irish comedy industry.

Rose, who is married to The Young Offenders director and creator Peter Foott, said she is delighted at the prospect of working in Cork again. “Peter and I used to live in Dublin but we’re from Cork, we wanted to live in Cork and work in Cork. That was kind of always our game plan, and we felt the only way to do that was to bring the work to us, and that’s kind of what we’ve now managed to do.

“It’s such a personal thrill that our plan has worked. Hopefully we’ll be able to do it from Cork for many years to come.”

Originally a feature film in 2016, The Young Offenders has just started a six-part series on BBC Three and airs on RTÉ 2 from tonight.

“The response already to the show has been phenomenal,” said Mr Foott. “Myself and the whole team have been blown away by it. To have BBC Three commission a second series so quickly is a dream come true, their support for the project has been unwavering from the start. This level of commitment is incredibly reassuring, and we’re keen to continue telling stories involving these characters.”