The second season of the Netflix series Department Q is in production at Edinburgh’s FirstStage Studios, with filming scheduled to continue through October. The show, based on Jussi Adler-Olsen’s crime novels and adapted by showrunner Scott Frank, marks a significant expansion from its first season.
Production design for the series includes meticulously detailed sets built from scratch, such as detective Carl Morck’s New Town flat—constructed at four times the actual size to accommodate cameras and crew—and the basement headquarters known as Department Q. The police headquarters set features an open-plan office with individual desk details and case files, while supporting structures reference Edinburgh’s brutalist architecture. The production team is also preparing contingencies for potential changes to actual filming locations, including digital scanning of the Argyle House building that serves as the exterior police headquarters, should the structure face demolition beyond its current lease expiration in 2033.
Executive producer Rob Bullock described the second season as “much more ambitious and much more cinematic” compared to the first. The production has increased its location count to over 100 sites across Scotland, up from approximately 60 in the initial season, and incorporates large-scale stunt sequences. Frank, who directed the first few episodes of season one, will direct all episodes of the new season, drawing on his appreciation for British detective dramas like Cracker and Prime Suspect.
The new season centers on the novel Disgrace, focusing on wealthy individuals involved in criminal activities. Cast members including Matthew Goode and Leah Byrne return to their roles. Actors noted that the Scottish setting contributes a distinctive tone combining dark humor with bleaker elements, distinguishing the series from Scandinavian crime dramas that maintain a consistently somber atmosphere.
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