Stephen Moyer and Zoe Tapper have joined the cast of Safe House.

Four new 60-minute episodes of the drama will begin filming in Wales, Liverpool and Manchester later this month.

The thriller series launched on ITV last April, averaging 6.5 million viewers and a 24% share.

Season 1’s Christopher Eccleston, Marsha Thomason and Paterson Joseph were all originally due to return for the second season, which was planned to begin filming in March.

> Buy Season 1 on DVD on Amazon.

Season 2 has since been rewritten and will now star Stephen Moyer (True Blood) as “charismatic yet impulsive” ex-police officer Tom Brook, who runs a police safe house by the edge of the sea on the rugged coastline of Anglesey.

Zoe Tapper (Mr Selfridge) will play his partner Sam.

The official synopsis reads: “Tom and Sam’s world is turned upside down when news of a shocking crime breaks. Years previously Tom investigated a series of abductions perpetrated by an assailant known as ‘The Crow’, who took wives away from husbands as they helplessly watched.

“On hearing breaking news of a crime bearing the same hallmarks Tom immediately goes to the crime scene, revealing to the police that terrifyingly he believes ‘The Crow’ is active again.”

Season 2’s cast also includes Dervla Kirwan (Blackout), Jason Watkins (Being Human), Sunetra Sarker (Casualty), Ashley Walters (Cuffs), Sacha Parkinson (Mr Selfridge) and Joel MacCormack (Wolf Hall).

ITV’s Controller of Drama Victoria Fea commented: “We’re delighted to be working on a brand new series of Safe House with Eleventh Hour Films. The format lends itself beautifully to creating a suspenseful drama with a new set of characters in a new safe house. As always Ed and Tracey’s scripts are gripping and compelling with twists and turns that shock and take you by surprise.”

Jill Green at Eleventh Hour Films added: “It’s brilliant to have enticed Stephen back to the UK for a completely new Safe House and thrilling story, proving the power of the brand.”

Directed by Marc Evans (Collision), second season of Safe House is written by Ed Whitmore (He Kills Coppers) and Tracey Malone (Rillington Place).

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