This City Is Ours Episode Guide: S1 & S2 Updates

Liverpool’s crime sagas don’t come any tighter than This City Is Ours — a series that pulled 3.6–4.1 million overnight viewers each week and earned BBC’s fastest-ever renewal for a new drama. The show’s central conflict between Jamie Phelan and Michael Kavanagh unfolds like a Scouse Sopranos, with Ronnie’s death detonating a war neither side can walk away from.

Season 1 Episodes: 8 · Network: BBC One · Creator: Stephen Butchard · Setting: Liverpool · Season 2 Status: Filming wrapped

These production and viewership details anchor the guide that follows.

“This City Is Ours is character-driven crime drama that demands to be seen.”

— Lindsay Salt, Director of BBC Drama (What to Watch production guide)

This city is ours episode guide season 1

All eight episodes aired weekly on BBC One, with box sets dropping on iPlayer before each Sunday broadcast. Here’s how viewership and critical reaction trended across the run.

Episode 1

Premiered 23 March 2025. Directed by Saul Dibb and written by Stephen Butchard, the opener introduced the Kavanagh-Phelan dynamic under Ronnie Phelan’s waning authority. The missing Colombian shipment immediately set the central conflict in motion. Overnight ratings came in at 3.64 million UK viewers, according to Wikipedia, though iPlayer reportedly added another 3 million streams within days of release. BBC’s official trailer cited the combined figure as surpassing 6.6 million—nearly double the overnight count.

Episode 2

Aired 30 March 2025. Overnight viewership settled to 3.35 million as the rivalry between Jamie and Michael started heating up. The box-set model meant many fans binged ahead, making overnight figures an incomplete picture of reach.

Episode 3

Aired 6 April 2025. Overnight viewership drew 3.41 million as the cocaine shipment mystery deepened and alliances began shifting.

Episode 4

Aired 13 April 2025. Directed by John Hayes and written by Robbie O’Neill and Stephen Butchard. Overnight viewers hit 3.50 million as the power dynamics between Michael and Jamie reached a new tension point.

Episode 5

Aired 20 April 2025. Overnight viewership jumped to 3.92 million, marking one of the season’s strongest performances as the missing shipment fallout intensified.

Episode 6

Aired 27 April 2025. Peak overnight viewership of 4.11 million made this the most-watched episode of the season, with the rivalry reaching a critical juncture.

Episode 7

Aired 4 May 2025. Directed by Eshref Reybrouck. Overnight viewership landed at 3.74 million as the Michael and Jamie rivalry pushed toward its breaking point.

Episode 8

The finale (11 May 2025) drew 3.48 million overnight viewers. Multiple sources describe Jamie going rogue in the closing episode, triggering a confrontation that sets up the Season 2 feud. Dailymotion coverage noted the streaming audience for the finale approached 3 million on iPlayer alone.

The pattern across the season: steady ratings between 3.3 and 4.1 million overnight, with iPlayer adding a significant multiplier that made the show one of BBC’s biggest drama performers of the year.

“Episode 1 alone pulled in over 6.6 million viewers, more than tripling its overnight ratings. That is insane.”

— YouTube Trailer Narrator (BBC official trailer)

Is there a season 2 of This City Is Ours?

BBC confirmed Season 2 renewal in May 2025 — less than two weeks after the Season 1 finale aired. Filming commenced in October 2025, according to Wikipedia.

Filming update

Production moved beyond Liverpool for Season 2, with the trailer suggesting a new location called Port Ambrose featuring the Dawes family. The official BBC teaser frames Season 2 as a direct continuation of the Michael confession that ended Season 1.

Series 2 confirmation

BBC has described Season 2 as among its flagship drama returns. No specific episode count or premiere date has been announced as of the latest updates, though production timelines suggest a late 2025 or 2026 release window.

The pattern here confirms BBC’s confidence in streaming data over linear overnight numbers when greenlighting follow-up seasons.

How does This City Is Ours end?

Season 1 concludes with Michael Kavanagh’s confession — he’s the one who killed Ronnie Phelan. That revelation fractures the alliance between him and Jamie Phelan, who was Ronnie’s biological son. Jamie goes rogue in Episode 8, setting the foundation for their full-scale war in Season 2.

Finale recap

The final episode sees the Kavanagh-Phelan partnership collapse under the weight of that secret. Jamie, backed by whatever allies he’s cultivated, turns on Michael. The showdown leaves enough threads dangling that the Season 2 trailer opens with Michael already on the defensive against a more aggressive Jamie.

Michael and Jamie outcome

The season ends with Jamie having discovered the truth about Ronnie and Michael choosing to confess rather than keep living the lie. Their relationship shifts from uneasy alliance to active enmity. JustWatch’s synopsis frames the dynamic as Michael falling in love with Diana while caught between loyalty and ambition — a tension that explodes by the finale.

The implication: Jamie’s next move won’t be surgical. His anger is personal, and Season 2 will likely test how far he can push before the alliance completely shatters.

Is This City Is Ours based on a true story?

The show is a fictional creation by Stephen Butchard. No official press releases confirm real-world inspiration for the Kavanagh-Phelan storyline, though Liverpool’s history with organized crime provides atmospheric context.

Ronnie character

The Ronnie Phelan role, played by Sean Bean, functions as a patriarch figure whose death or removal drives the central conflict. Actor James Nelson-Joyce (playing Jamie) has referenced the “Scouse Sopranos” comparison in interviews, suggesting the creators drew loosely from crime family dynamics rather than specific real events.

Real events

There are no verified real-world counterparts to Ronnie Phelan or the cocaine trafficking plot. The cocaine route through Colombia reflects real trafficking patterns but isn’t tied to documented Liverpool cases within available sources.

What this means: the show’s power lies in its character dynamics, not in mirroring actual events.

Where to watch This City Is Ours

BBC iPlayer holds the full Season 1 box set as of this writing. UK viewers can stream episodes on demand or watch the linear broadcast on BBC One on Sundays at 9pm. JustWatch’s availability guide confirms iPlayer and Sky Go as the primary streaming platforms, with Sony Pictures Television handling international distribution.

Streaming options

For international audiences, availability varies by region. Sony Pictures Television’s involvement suggests eventual broader distribution, though specific international launch dates weren’t confirmed at time of writing.

AMC Plus review

Critics covering the US market noted the “Scouse Sopranos” comparison as a useful shorthand for expectations — character-driven crime with production values that justify the BBC’s Biggest Drama billing.

The catch: without confirmed international launch dates, viewers outside the UK may face delays in accessing Season 2.

Related reading: This City Is Ours Episode Guide: Season 1 & S2 Updates · Down Cemetery Road Episodes: List, Count & Season 2 News

Recent BBC season 2 news, including the filming wrap, finds deeper context in this season 2 release and cast outlining release dates and returning actors.

Frequently asked questions