Introduction

No longer the new boy in town, Don Gilet returns to Newcastle as charismatic detective Nicky Cole in the second series of BBC ONE's 55 Degrees North.

With its blend of action packed drama and dry humour, the eight-part series once again takes to the streets of the North East, opening with an explosive episode in which Nicky's commitment to the job is tested to the max.

But while there is always a challenging case to investigate,

55 Degrees North focusses on the often difficult friendships and relationships between its characters - in an environment where the job often has to come first.

After a shaky start in the new city, Nicky's finally beginning to strike a balance between professional and personal happiness. However, complication is ever-present through his relationship with ballsy CPS lawyer and new mum, Claire Maxwell (Dervla Kirwan), who on her first day back at work has her own struggles juggling motherhood with her career.

Then there's his new boss, Bing (series newcomer Mark Lewis Jones), a straight-talking, no-nonsense Detective Inspector who wouldn't know tact if it slapped him in the face.

Meanwhile, PCs Astel and Clark (Andrew Dunn and Mark Stobbart) continue to pound the city's streets providing much of the show's humour, while their ambitious and untrustworthy colleague DS Yates (Darren Morfitt) looks set for possible promotion.

Emma Cleasby, as feisty Sergeant Brookes, and Michael Hodgson, as brooding DS Frank Maguire, complete the

crime-fighting police team.

Then there's George Harris playing Uncle Errol, Jaeden Burke (nephew Matty), and Jacqueline King as Errol's neighbour and girlfriend - making up Nicky's family.

Executive Producer for BBC Scotland, Barbara McKissack, explains that the new series of 55 Degrees North will build on the success of last year's run, and welcomes the broader focus on the ensemble cast.

"It's wonderful to be back in Newcastle with Nicky and his world.

"Nicky is still very much at the heart of the show, and this year he's settling into life in Newcastle and developing real friendships - inside work and at home.

"And as his world expands, that allows us to make full use of the fantastic range of characters we have and to develop lots of exciting stories for them all. Everyone gets a chance to shine in their own story strands within each episode," she comments.

Executive Producer Adrian Bate, of Zenith North, adds: "There are always such positive elements in Timothy Prager's storytelling, so there is a constant balance in 55 Degrees North between the fact that it may be a police drama, but it's a very accessible and honest human drama as well.

"The series manages to combine cracking, good stories without getting bogged down in police procedure, whilst weaving in the personal lives of the characters.

"That's the show's strength. If you can't stand police dramas, you'll like this show just as much as someone who is a huge cop show fan."