When Sean Bean stepped onto the gritty streets of Liverpool as aging crime boss Ronnie Phelan, no one expected the show to explode like it did. This City Is Ours, the BBC One crime drama created by Stephen Butchard and produced by Left Bank Pictures, premiered on March 23, 2025, and within seven days, it drew 6.8 million viewers across TV and streaming. Critics didn’t just praise it—they called it this year’s best crime drama. And now, with its renewal announced on May 15, 2025, the show isn’t just popular. It’s become a cultural moment.
The Power Struggle Beneath the Mersey
At its heart, This City Is Ours isn’t just about drugs and violence—it’s about legacy. Ronnie Phelan, played with weary gravitas by Bean, wants out. One last deal. Then retirement. But his empire doesn’t work that way. His right-hand man, Michael Kavanagh (James Nelson-Joyce), has spent 20 years building the business from the ground up. And then there’s Jamie Phelan (Jack McMullen), Ronnie’s reckless, entitled son, who sees the throne as his birthright. The tension isn’t just professional—it’s familial. And it’s boiling over.The show’s brilliance lies in how it ties the criminal world to the domestic. Diana Williams (Hannah Onslow), Michael’s girlfriend and a restaurant manager with no ties to the underworld, becomes his moral compass. Her presence doesn’t soften him—it fractures him. He wants out, but leaving means betraying the men who’ve backed him. Meanwhile, Jamie’s fiancée, Melissa Sullivan (Darci Shaw), is pregnant. That baby? It’s not a symbol of hope. It’s a weapon.
Why Liverpool Feels So Real
This isn’t a London crime saga with flashy suits and penthouse views. Liverpool is the show’s third main character. The damp brick alleys of Toxteth, the echoing corridors of abandoned warehouses, the corner shops where deals are whispered over tea—every frame feels lived-in. The production team spent months interviewing former gang members, ex-cops, and community workers to get the dialect, the rhythm, the silence between words right. You can hear the Scouse lilt in every line. You feel the weight of the city’s history in every shadow.Even the supporting cast feels like neighbors you’ve known since childhood. Julie Graham as Elaine Phelan, Ronnie’s wife, doesn’t just play a matriarch—she embodies the quiet devastation of a woman who’s buried too many sons to count. Laura Aikman’s Rachel Duffy, the gang’s accountant, delivers lines with a cold precision that makes you wonder if she’s the real puppet master. And then there’s Leanne Best as Lesley Williams, Diana’s mother, serving a life sentence for killing Diana’s father—a detail that doesn’t just add backstory, it haunts the entire narrative.
Season 2: New Blood, Old Wounds
The renewal wasn’t just a formality—it was inevitable. But the additions to the cast? That’s where things get dangerous. Shaun Evans, known for Endeavour, joins as Ozzie Thompson, a veteran gangster fresh out of prison after 15 years behind bars. He’s not here to retire. He’s here to collect. And he’s got a ledger full of names. Then there’s Álvaro Morte, the Spanish star of Money Heist, stepping in as Felipe Guzman, brother of a man killed by the gang in Season 1. His arrival isn’t just revenge—it’s a bridge to the Colombian cartel, represented by Kevin Harvey as Ricardo Guzman. The Amigos aren’t just suppliers anymore. They’re players.Production for Season 2 begins November 15, 2025, in Liverpool, and runs through February 28, 2026. The premiere is set for March 22, 2026—exactly one year after the first. That’s no coincidence. The BBC is treating this like a landmark event.
What the Numbers Really Mean
The 6.8 million viewers? That’s not just a win—it’s a statement. For a BBC One drama to cross that threshold in its first week, especially without heavy international marketing, is rare. The 7.9/10 rating on IMDb, based on over 8,800 votes, shows it’s not just mainstream appeal—it’s passionate fandom. The YouTube trailer, with 460,000 views, isn’t just watched. It’s dissected. Fans have spent months mapping out family trees, analyzing dialogue for hidden threats, and speculating who’ll die next.And here’s the twist: the show’s success comes not from spectacle, but restraint. There are no car chases with explosions. No slow-mo gunfights. Just quiet moments: a hand gripping a knife too tight, a mother staring at a photo, a man sitting alone in a car, deciding whether to walk away. That’s what makes it feel real. That’s what makes it stick.
What’s Next?
Season 2 won’t just expand the cast—it’ll deepen the moral decay. With Ozzie demanding payment and Felipe seeking vengeance, the gang’s internal fractures will be exploited from outside. The cartel won’t wait for an opening—they’ll create one. And Michael? He’s caught between love and loyalty, between the woman who wants a future and the men who won’t let him leave.One thing’s clear: This City Is Ours isn’t just a crime drama. It’s a tragedy wrapped in a thriller, set in a city that refuses to be forgotten. And if Season 1 was about the end of an era, Season 2 will be about who’s left standing when the dust settles.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is Sean Bean’s role in This City Is Ours considered a career highlight?
Bean’s portrayal of Ronnie Phelan is a masterclass in quiet intensity. Unlike his iconic roles like Ned Stark, this character isn’t defined by grand speeches or heroic sacrifice—he’s worn down by decades of violence, haunted by the family he can’t save. Critics note his subtle glances and pauses carry more weight than entire scenes in other shows, making his desire to retire feel deeply human, not just plot-driven.
How does This City Is Ours differ from other British crime dramas like Peaky Blinders or Line of Duty?
While Peaky Blinders leans into mythic grandeur and Line of Duty focuses on police procedure, This City Is Ours is grounded in domestic realism. It’s less about the spectacle of crime and more about its emotional toll on families. The camera lingers on meals, laundry, and silent car rides—moments other shows skip. The violence is sudden, ugly, and rarely rewarded, making it feel more like a documentary than a drama.
What role does Liverpool play beyond being a setting?
Liverpool isn’t just a backdrop—it’s a character shaped by deindustrialization, economic neglect, and resilience. The show uses real locations like the Baltic Triangle and Wavertree, and even the accents are meticulously coached. Locals have praised the authenticity, noting how the series captures the city’s pride and pain without romanticizing crime. The city’s history of organized crime, from the 1980s drug wars to modern-day gangs, informs every decision the characters make.
Who is the real villain in This City Is Ours?
There isn’t one. The show argues that the system itself is the villain—poverty, lack of opportunity, and generational trauma. Jamie isn’t evil; he’s a product of his father’s empire. Michael isn’t noble; he’s trapped. Even Ronnie, the patriarch, is a casualty of his own choices. The true antagonist? The belief that crime is the only path to power in a city that’s been abandoned by institutions.
Will Diana survive Season 2?
Diana’s fate is the show’s most anticipated mystery. Her innocence makes her a target—not because she knows too much, but because she represents the future Michael could have. The trailer for Season 2 hints at a confrontation between her and Jamie’s family, possibly involving his mother Elaine. If she lives, it’ll be a miracle. If she dies, it’ll be the show’s most devastating moment yet.
Why was Álvaro Morte cast as Felipe Guzman?
Morte brings a chilling calm to roles, like his iconic performance as El Profesor in Money Heist. His Felipe won’t rant or rage—he’ll calculate. His arrival signals the cartel’s shift from suppliers to sovereign actors. He doesn’t want revenge; he wants control. His quiet menace is a perfect foil to the emotional chaos of the Phelan family, raising the stakes from street-level warfare to international power play.
