Haunting new period drama Death and Nightingales started on BBC Two last week in what is the latest programme from The Fall’s Allan Cubitt and Jamie Dornan. Episode two will air tonight at 9pm and fans are anxious to see if Beth (played by Ann Skelly) and Liam (Jamie Dornan) will go through with their plan. But will the story be continued in a second season 2?
WARNING: This article contains spoilers for Death and Nightingales episode 1
Will there be another series of Death and Nightingales?
The short answer is no – Death and Nightingales is a once off miniseries.
There are three episodes in total, all of which are based on the book by Eugene McCabe.
Gripping and harrowing, the drama will conclude next Wednesday on BBC Two.
The story, which is set over a 24 to 36 hour period, will be completed over the three instalments and there will be no need for a second series.
Death and Nightingales’ action leads to a devastating climax as years of pain and betrayal build up over the course of the short but dense plot.
Speaking about author Eugene McCabe, Cubitt aid he has long wanted to adapt the novel for the screen.
Written in 1992, it is considered a modern Irish classic.
Eugene is a wonderful man. I don’t know him very well but when I was towards the end of The Fall and working in Northern Ireland I drove out to meet him for the first time,” Cubitt said.
“Death and Nightingales is his only novel, he is a playwright and a short story writer.
“His playwriting skill is there in every line of dialogue in the book.
“I’ve used an enormous amount of his writing. Largely with the adaptation I structured and moved things around.”
He explained: “I’ve made a couple of telling plot changes which are right from a dramatist’s point of view but I’ve relied on his descriptions of the world he’s writing about.”
Speaking about the script, Jamie Dornan said he “loved the tone and eloquence of it”.
“It has beautiful use of beautiful sounding language in it.
“I like the way Allan writes and the words fit in my mouth. It’s very comforting.”
Matthew Rhys added: “It’s very layered and my hope is that at the end, as an audience you are torn. Allan has done this beautifully; you aren’t led in one very definite direction.
“Those pieces for me are always the ones that are the most interesting.”
Death and Nightingales continues tonight on BBC Two at 9pm
