The Tourist is back for season two - and it'll be sooner than you think

The Tourist season two release date is here - so if you still need to catch up on series one, now's the perfect time.

The first season of The Tourist - which sees Jamie Dornan as an Irishman (simply called 'The Man') who wakes up in the Australian outback with no memory of how he got there - was a huge success with both audiences and critics. Luke Buckmaster of The Guardian calls the BBC show a 'pulse-pounding series packed with humour and philosophical questions' rating it five stars, while Metacritic praises the drama's 'sharp dialogue, clever plotting, and career-best work from Jamie Dornan and Danielle Macdonald'. 

Jamie, who has played a multitude of difficult characters including The Fall's unsettlingly creepy Paul Spector alongside Gillian Anderson, said his role in The Tourist was one of his most challenging yet. He told Variety: "I’ve never had to approach a character before who doesn’t know who he is, so it was almost like a total opposite process for me of not allowing yourself a backstory and accepting every single discovery he has as something new. I often tried to consider myself in my most vulnerable moments, where I’ve felt lost or afraid and draw on those."

So when is the second season of The Tourist coming and what do we know about it so far? Here's what we know.

When is The Tourist season two release date? 

The BBC has confirmed in a statement that we've got an unexpected festive treat in store, with The Tourist's second season confirmed for New Year's Day (January 1st, 2024). 

In a press release at 9pm on 3rd December 2023, the BBC wrote: "Full of shocking plot twists, intense action and the same off-beat comedy that made series one a success, The Tourist, written by Jack and Harry Williams is set to return New Year’s Day 2024."

And in even better news, all six episodes of The Tourist's new season will be available to stream on BBC iPlayer from 6am on New Year's Day.

What do we know about The Tourist season two storyline? 

While the first season of The Tourist took place in the Aussie outback, the second season will see the characters travel to Ireland to uncover more of Elliot's history, with a longstanding family feud drawing constable Helen Chambers (Danielle Macdonald) in. 

Earlier this year when the second season was confirmed, its creators and writers Jack and Harry Williams gave us some insight into what to expect from the second season. They told Variety: "The Tourist was unlike anything we’d written before and we’re hugely grateful for the incredible response to series one. It’s been an exciting journey getting stuck into that world again with the quirky characters that were so loved, and seeing where we could take them next, whilst continuing to deliver a tonally unique and off-beat drama."

The official synopsis reads: "Set against the striking backdrop of Ireland, Elliot and Helen are confronted by friends and foes. As they attempt to uncover the secrets of Elliot’s past, they are soon dragged into a longstanding family feud where they face the dangerous consequences of his past actions."

Jamie Dornan said of reprising his role in the BBC show in an interview with Deadline: "I'm incredibly excited to continue the story with The Tourist. Harry and Jack Williams are brilliant writers and I can’t wait for audiences to see how well Ireland and its characters are utilised to keep them guessing as the tale progresses."

Danielle MacDonald, who plays Constable Helen Chambers, said of coming back for The Tourist season two: "I’m so excited to team up with Jamie again and return for another wild adventure with an amazing cast and crew. Jack and Harry Williams are brilliant storytellers and it’s exciting to see what their minds will come up with next."

Will you be tuning in for The Tourist season 2? We know where we'll be on New Year's Day...