This City Is Ours Episode Guide: Season 1 & S2 Updates

BBC’s crime drama This City Is Ours landed in May 2025 and immediately earned comparisons to the Scouse Sopranos, thanks to creator Stephen Butchard’s story of loyalty, betrayal, and power in Liverpool’s underworld.

Seasons: 1 (Season 2 confirmed) · Season 1 Episodes: 8 · Network: BBC One · Creator: Stephen Butchard · Setting: Liverpool

Three metrics, one pattern: 8 episodes of escalating tension with a missing cocaine shipment from Colombia at the center.

This city is ours episode guide season 1

The series premiered on BBC One on 23 May 2025, with all 8 episodes available as a box set on BBC iPlayer. Episodes aired weekly on Sundays at 9 pm after the box set release (What to Watch). The highest viewership came in Episode 6 with 4.11 million viewers (Wikipedia).

Episode 1

Episode 1 aired on 23 March 2025, directed by Saul Dibb, written by Stephen Butchard, drawing 3.64 million UK viewers (Wikipedia). The pilot establishes Michael Kavanagh, right-hand man to crime boss Ronnie Phelan, as he navigates a power struggle with Ronnie’s son Jamie amid a missing cocaine shipment from Colombia (JustWatch).

Episode 2

Episode 2 aired on 30 March 2025, directed by Saul Dibb, written by Stephen Butchard, with 3.35 million UK viewers (Wikipedia). Michael and Diana’s relationship deepens as the power dynamics within the Phelan crime family grow more complex.

Episode 3

Episode 3 aired on 6 April 2025, directed by Saul Dibb, written by Stephen Butchard, with 3.41 million UK viewers (Wikipedia). Tensions within the Phelan family intensify as the missing cocaine shipment from Colombia continues to drive suspicion and conflict.

Episode 4

Episode 4 aired on 13 April 2025, directed by John Hayes, written by Robbie O’Neill & Stephen Butchard, with 3.50 million UK viewers (Wikipedia). The power struggle between Michael and Jamie escalates as external pressures mount on the crime family.

Episode 6

Episode 6 aired on 27 April 2025, directed by John Hayes, written by Stephen Butchard, delivering the season’s highest viewership at 4.11 million UK viewers (Wikipedia). A winner-takes-all fight is agreed between Michael and Jamie as tensions reach breaking point.

Episode 7

Episode 7 aired on 4 May 2025, directed by Eshref Reybrouck, written by Stephen Butchard, with 3.74 million UK viewers (Wikipedia). The Michael and Jamie rivalry is pushed to its limit as betrayal comes to light within the family.

Episode 8

Episode 8 aired on 11 May 2025, directed by Eshref Reybrouck, written by Stephen Butchard, with 3.48 million UK viewers (Wikipedia). Jamie goes rogue leading to the final showdown between Michael and Jamie.

Is there a season 2 of This City Is Ours?

Yes. The series was renewed for a second season in May 2025, and filming commenced in October 2025 (Wikipedia). James Nelson-Joyce (Michael Kavanagh) and Jack McMullen (Jamie Phelan) are both expected to return for Season 2 (Radio Times).

Characters Sean Bean (Ronnie Phelan), Stephen Walters (Davey Crawford), Daniel Cerqueira (Ricardo), and Shane Walker (Billy) died in Season 1 and will not return (Radio Times). Jack McMullen told Radio Times that the cast has “no idea” about Season 2 plot details (Radio Times).

What this means: with filming complete but no official release date, speculation points to early summer or autumn 2026 — approximately 12-18 months after the Season 1 finale (Radio Times). Season 2 has no trailer available as of the latest updates (Radio Times).

How does This City Is Ours end?

Season 1 ends with Jamie going rogue, leading to the final showdown between Michael and Jamie. The missing cocaine shipment from Colombia and internal betrayal within the Phelan family drive the climactic confrontation (What to Watch).

Episode summaries indicate a shocking death and body smuggling feature in the later episodes, with Michael and Diana’s IVF journey culminating in success even as the criminal stakes escalate (TheTVDB). The fight between Michael and Jamie reaches its conclusion in the finale.

The implication: the finale leaves Michael in a vulnerable position — Ronnie’s death removes the patriarchal structure that held the family together, potentially setting up Season 2 as a chaotic succession battle.

Is This City Is Ours based on a true story?

This City Is Ours is a fictional crime drama created by Stephen Butchard for BBC One. The show explores themes of family, love, ambition, pride, and greed in Liverpool’s criminal underworld (What to Watch). While it draws on the atmosphere and history of Liverpool’s organized crime, the characters and plot are not based on specific real individuals.

Who is actually Scouse in This City Is Ours?

The “Scouse Sopranos” nickname comes from lead actor James Nelson-Joyce, who plays Michael Kavanagh. The show is set in Liverpool and features a predominantly Scouse cast, capturing authentic local dynamics and dialect (Radio Times).

BBC’s character-driven crime drama that demands to be seen.

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

The cast have “no idea” what Butchard has in mind for future chapters.

Jack McMullen, Actor (Jamie Phelan) (Radio Times)

For viewers in the UK, the choice is straightforward: stream for free on BBC iPlayer or Sky Go (JustWatch). US audiences can access the series through AMC+ (TV Guide), where it’s listed as “A Crime Family Saga” with Seasons 1-2 available 2025-2026.

The trade-off: international viewers lose the Sunday night appointment viewing that BBC One audiences enjoyed — but gain flexibility with box-set access on streaming platforms.

Related reading: Down Cemetery Road Episodes

As season 2 anticipation builds, Season 2 release and cast details confirm production wrapped in March after Liverpool filming.

Frequently asked questions