How to watch The Responder season 2 online: live stream new episodes for FREE

How to watch The Responder season 2 online: live stream new episodes for FREE

Chris Carson (Martin Freeman) and Rachel Hargreaves (Adelayo Adedayo) are back on the beat in gritty police drama The Responder season 2  – and they’re desperate to regain control of their nosediving personal lives. New episodes begin airing on Sunday, May 5.

In the UK, viewers can watch The Responder online absolutely FREE. And don’t worry if you happen to be away from home, because viewers can watch The Responder season 2 on BBC iPlayer from anywhere with a VPN.

Charting the tribulations of the recently demoted Carson as he contends with the stark realities of the job while aggravating Liverpool’s criminal element, The Responder proved a massive hit with viewers when it debuted in 2022, its first episode amassing over 9 million views.

The compellingly dark show earned Freeman an International Emmy Award and Josh Finan and Adedayo each a BAFTA-nomination. The London Evening Standard critic exclaimed that it was “authentic, propulsive, funny and powerful.”

Season 2 picks up roughly six-months later as a frazzled Carson does everything he can to keep himself and his family from falling to pieces. Yet history seems doomed to repeat itself. The Liverpudlian copper is soon caught in the middle of a war between two drug kingpins, and drawn into the orbit of a volatile criminal called Franny – portrayed by Chernobyl actor Adam Nagaitis.

Among the returning cast members are Emily Fairn (Mary & George) and Josh Finan (The Gentlemen) as Casey and Marco, two down-on-their-luck dealers, in addition to MyAnna Buring (The Salisbury Poisonings) as Chris’s long-suffering wife, and Amaka Okafor (Netflix series Bodies) as his boss, DI Deborah Barnes.

Ready for more of this brilliantly bleak drama? Then read on for how to watch The Responder season 2 online now and from anywhere. We’ve got all the information you’ll need below.

How to watch The Responder season 2 FREE in the UK

Can I watch The Responder season 2 online in the US?

US fans may have to wait a while to watch The Responder season 2. Although the show is licensed to BritBox in the States, there was a significant hiatus between season 1's initial broadcast on BBC One and its addition to the streaming service – approximately four months. We’d expect a similar delay for season 2.

When new episodes of The Responder do eventually arrive, you’ll want to snap up a subscription to BritBox. There’s a 7 day free trial available to new subscribers. When that expires, a membership costs $8.99 a month, or you can get the $89.99 annual plan.

Can I watch The Responder season 2 online in Australia?

There’s cause to celebrate Down Under as season 2 has a release date! If you don’t mind potential spoilers, then Aussies can watch The Responder season 2 from Thursday, May 30 on SBS – less than a month after its UK debut.

And if you’ve cut the cord, no worries. Just head to streaming service SBS On Demand. It’s completely free to use and takes seconds to et up an account. Then you’ll be able to binge-watch all six episodes immediately.

How to watch The Responder season 2 from anywhere with a VPN

If you're going to be away from your normal TV setup but still want to watch The Responder season 2, you might run into some problems. Thankfully, you can solve this exact issue with a Virtual Private Network (VPN). 

A VPN lets you change your IP address to that of the area of what you want to watch, meaning you can tune in to your favorite shows or other content even if you're not there. Our favorite is NordVPN.

What is The Responder season 2 release date?

Viewers can catch up with troubled police officer Chris Carson and his partner Rachel Hargreaves from Sunday, May 5. Episodes air weekly on BBC One at 9 pm UK, or you can stream all six episodes on BBC iPlayer from the same date.

See the release schedule below for individual dates and broadcast times.

  • Episode 1 – airs May 5, 9 pm UK on BBC One
  • Episode 2 – airs May 12, 9 pm UK on BBC One
  • Episode 3 – airs May 19, 9 pm UK on BBC One
  • Episode 4 – airs May 26, 9 pm UK on BBC One
  • Episode 5 – airs June 2, 9 pm UK on BBC One

The Responder season 2 trailer

History is doomed to repeat itself for beleaguered urgent responder Chris Carson. Catch the dramatic trailer for The Responder season 2 below now:

Who is in The Responder season 2 cast?


  • Martin Freeman as Chris Carson

  • Adelayo Adedayo as Rachel Hargreaves

  • Warren Brown as Ray Mullen

  • MyAnna Buring as Kate Carson

  • Emily Fairn as Casey

  • Josh Finan as Marco

  • Faye McKeever as Jodie Sweeney

  • Mark Womack as Barry

  • Philip S. McGuinness as Ian

  • Amaka Okafor as Deborah Barnes

  • Ian Puleston-Davies as Eric

  • Adam Nagaitis as Franny

  • Bernard Hill as Tom

  • Sean Kingsley as Dave

  • Shaun Mason as Ben

  • Matthew Cottle as Father Liam

  • Zach J Levene as Sol

  • Austin Haynes as Danny

  • Romi Hyland-Rylands as Tilly Carson

  • Julia Ross as Dolly

  • Dominic Muldoon as Jerry

  • Sam C Wilson as Hodgkin

  • Louis Emerick Matty

  • Joel Morris as Gavin

  • Neil Fitzmaurice as DI Kennedy

  • Lenny Wood as Alan

  • Debbie Brannan as Moira

  • Gina Fillingham as Shelly

  • Liam Scott as Price

  • Lois Cringle as Lexie

  • Elijah Larsen as William