Will there be a third series of Detectorists?


That is the question on the lips of fans of the hit BBC comedy, which examines the close friendship between two metal detecting enthusiasts – Mackenzie Crook’s Andy and Toby Jones’ Lance.

The final episode of series two finished on Thursday tonight, with Andy deciding whether or not to leave for Botswana with his wife Becky (Rachael Stirling). We won’t spoil it for those who haven’t caught up with the episode, but the question remains: will the story continue?

RadioTimes.com understands that the BBC is keen for a third series, but creator and star Crook is uncertain.

“He will only make it if he feels it is creatively justified,” said a source. “He is a perfectionist. This means so much to him, he will only make it if he’s absolutely sure about it.”

However, there will be at least one more guaranteed sighting of Andy and Lance: a Christmas special will air on Wednesday 23rd December.

In the episode, Lance seeks to reconnect with the wintry landscape, which real-life metal detectorists will find encouraging (the two series have been filmed in summer, but most metal detecting happens in the colder months when there are no crops on the fields).

But will Lance and Andy discover treasure and finally get to do the gold dance?

Weeeelllll…. maybe. RadioTimes.com understands that some scenes in the Christmas special were filmed inside and around the British Museum (here’s a picture of Lance standing outside the London institution).

So you never know. Maybe something bright and shiny is going on display…


The Detectorists Christmas special airs on Wednesday 23rd December at 10pm on BBC4