FUN-LOVIN' CRIMINALS

Stephen Merchant's petty crooks are back for more comedy mayhem

- CAREN CLARK

NEW COMEDY

The Outlaws

Sun, 9 pm, BBC1 (box set, BBC iPlayer)

The lives and loves of eclectic offenders carrying out community service in Bristol captured the imagination when BBC1's The Outlaws debuted last year.

Now, the comedy is back for a second six-part run, co-written again by Stephen Merchant, who plays awkward lawyer and convicted criminal Greg.

The first series saw the disparate gang, who also include wily fraudster Frank (Christopher Walken) and socialite Lady Gabby (Eleanor Tomlinson), try to help one of their number, troubled Christian (Gamba Cole), after he became embroiled with the local underworld and a bag of illicit cash.

This time around, as they continue their sentences, the group soon finds themselves in danger when sinister crime lord The Dean (Claes Bang) wants the money back...

TV Satellite Week joined Merchant, 47, best known for co-creating The Office, for a virtual chat to learn more...

What reaction did you get to the first series? We had lovely feedback on social media. I got messages from people who had done community service and people engaged with the mix of thriller and humour. What's fun about series two is that people know the world and are hopefully on the characters' sides and cheering for them.