Jack and Joan are heading back on the road, with AMC Networks’ Acorn TV and production partner CJZ confirming a second season of mystery drama Darby and Joan.
Set to begin filming in Queensland in the coming weeks, the new episodes have Bryan Brown and Greta Scacchi reprising their roles as retired policeman Jack Darby and widowed English nurse Joan Kirkhope, unlikely companions that collide in the Australian outback and become entangled in a string of intriguing mysteries.
In the second season, the pair are hunting the one person Jack believes can reveal the truth about his mysterious past. However, they soon realize they aren’t alone on the journey, leading to their quest becoming a race against time.
Andrew Anastasios, Giula Sandler, and David Hannam return to the writers’ room alongside new additions Stephen Vagg and Sarah Smith, with Jovita O’Shaughnessy coming in as set-up director.
Matt Campbell, Claire Tonkin, Catherine Mackin, and Bea Tammer are producing alongside series producer Elisa Argenzio and script producer Sarah Smith. Glenys Rowe and Phillip Gwynne created the Acorn Original, with Acorn Media International the exclusive international distributor. Screen Queensland is supporting the CJZ production via its Screen Finance Program.
The announcement comes nearly two years after the first season premiered, becoming a top performer on Acorn TV’s international streaming platform. It has since been released on additional channels in the U.S., Canada, New Zealand, the U.K., Japan, Israel, Eastern Europe and others. The title has now been acquired by UKTV in the U.K., BBC Studios in Benelux, AXN Mystery Channel in Japan, Network 4 in Hungary, Czech Republic and Slovak Republic, and Disney Channel in CEE (Albania, Bulgaria, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Slovenia). It aired on the ABC TV in January 2024.
Brown admitted the first season had gained him and Scacchi “a lot of fans”.
“Looking forward to taking Darby and Joan on the road in Queensland again,” he said.
“Great locations, fun cast. Here we go series two.”
Campbell said CJZ always believed Darby and Joan would become a favourite crime-solving couple.
“We are so pleased Acorn could see what we were trying to say with the series and have backed it every inch of the way since the pitch,” he said.
Acorn Media International’s head of international sales and acquisitions Vanessa Jordan said the company had been delighted with the way the program had been received globally.
“Sales in Japan, Scandinavia, Eastern Europe, Benelux, and the UK demonstrate that audiences have a strong appetite for light, entertaining, good-quality crime series,” she said.
“The magnificent Australian backdrop frames this charming drama and its likable characters. We are very excited about the arrival of series two and thankful to our partners at CJZ.”
Screen Queensland CEO Jacqui Feeney was pleased the cast and crew were able to continue their road trip in the state.
“Darby and Joan series two continues uncovering what Queensland is renowned for—our diverse locations, skilled crew, and wonderful screen storytelling for global audiences, underpinned by investment from the Queensland Government,” she said.