First look: Stephen Merchant's 'The Outlaws' returns for series two with Christopher Walken

Stephen Merchant sitcom The Outlaws is back for series two next month and newly-released first-look pictures show the return of Hollywood star Christopher Walken to the cast.

The BBC One comedy about a group of seven strangers thrown together for community service as a sentence for their various crimes was a huge hit in its debut series, becoming the biggest comedy launch of 2021 with 11 million streams on iPlayer.

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Now, The Outlaws is set to return next month for a second season, and fans will be pleased to see from the first-look images that their favourite stars are back on board - including Merchant and Academy Award winner Walken.

The series two cast also features Nina Wadia (Goodness Gracious Me, Bend It like Beckham), Eleanor Tomlinson (Poldark), Rhianne Barreto (Honour), Gamba Cole (Soon Gone: A Windrush Chronicle), Darren Boyd (Killing Eve), Clare Perkins (EastEnders), Jessica Gunning (Back), Charles Babalola (Bancroft), Tom Hanson (Brassic), and Aiyana Goodfellow (Small Axe).

Guest stars have also been confirmed - they include Claes Bang (Dracula), Julia Davis (Sally4Ever), Dolly Wells (Dracula), and Ian McElhinney (Game Of Thrones, Derry Girls).

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Series one saw the group, completing their community service payback in Bristol, happen across a bag full of money with no idea that some very dangerous people were looking for it.

In series two, the group still have time left to serve on their sentences and are continuing their scheme, but they are also facing the consequences of their actions with the money.

The criminal underworld and local police are by no means done with them yet, so they must pull together as unlikely allies to atone for their sins, without selling their souls in the process.

Merchant previously told the story of how he had landed Walken as his show's star, saying: "Someone mentioned Christopher Walken and I thought that would be amazing.

"What I love about him is that he can do both great charm and be very funny, but also menacing at the same time. We got word to him somehow."

The comedian and writer told how he took a trip out to the US to meet Walken who "doesn't use phones and doesn't have a computer".

He added: "He was asking a tonne of questions about the character and about the scripts and about Bristol. We spent hours just chewing the fat and the next thing I knew he agreed to do it. And that was a huge thrill."

Merchant has said The Outlaws is inspired by his parents' reminiscences of working for Bristol Community Service when he was growing up.

The Outlaws season two will air in June on BBC One.

Watch: Stephen Merchant reveals how he cast Christopher Walken