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Art Detectives season 2: the December Christmas special and what's coming to Acorn TV

Acorn TV's Art Detectives returns with a two-part special in December 2026 and six new episodes in 2027. What's confirmed, who's back and how to watch in the U.S.

By the TV Docket editors · How we work Published

Short answer: Art Detectives comes back to Acorn TV in December 2026 with a two-part special, and a full six-episode second season follows in 2027. Acorn TV announced both on July 28, 2026. As of November 12, it hasn’t given the exact December date, and nothing has been announced for 2027 beyond the year.

What’s confirmed

  • The renewal. Acorn TV renewed the series for a second season in July 2026. Its announcement says season 2 opens with a two-part special in December, followed by six more episodes in 2027.
  • Where it was made. Production began in July 2026 in Belfast and across Northern Ireland, where the first series was also filmed.
  • Who’s writing it. Dan Gaster, Will Ing and Paul Powell, who created the show, write both the special and the new season. Jennie Paddon, Declan Recks and Sam O’Mahony direct the eight new episodes between them.
  • What’s not confirmed. The day the special starts on Acorn TV, and when in 2027 the rest of the season arrives. We’ll add them to this page when Acorn TV announces them.

Who’s back

Stephen Moyer returns as DI Mick Palmer, Nina Singh as DC Shazia Malik and Larry Lamb as Ron Palmer, Mick’s father. Sarah Alexander, who played Rosa Conaghan in series 1, wasn’t named in the season 2 announcement, according to Telly Visions. Guest stars haven’t been announced.

What the show is about

Art Detectives is a light-hearted crime drama about a small police Heritage Crime Unit that investigates crimes involving art, antiques and historical objects. In series 1 the cases took in a possible fake Vermeer, Viking gold, vintage French wine and objects saved from the Titanic. It’s an Acorn TV original: it streamed in the U.S. first, from June 9, 2025, and reached U.K. viewers on U&Drama that October.

How to watch in the U.S.

The series is exclusive to Acorn TV, which is also sold as a channel on Prime Video and Apple TV. All six episodes of series 1 are there now, so there’s time to catch up before the special. Series 1 was released weekly on Mondays, with two episodes on the first day.

For more British crime coming to U.S. screens, see every British mystery premiere this fall and our BritBox vs Acorn TV vs PBS Passport comparison.

Sources

  2. 'Art Detectives' hunts up a second season on Acorn
    Telly Visions Publisher Checked
  3. Art Detectives (TV series)
    Wikipedia Publisher Checked
  4. Art Detectives episode data
    TVmaze (CC BY-SA) Data Retrieved

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