First images have been released from the multi-award-winning BBC comedy Black Ops, which returns for a second series in January 2026. 

Gbemisola Ikumelo (The Paper, Trying) and Hammed Animashaun (The Wheel of Time, Time Bandits) are back as Dom and Kay, alongside Akemnji Ndifornyen (Famalam, Dreaming Whilst Black) as Tevin. They are joined for series two by a star-studded line-up of guest cast including Annette Badland (Heartstopper, Ted Lasso), Cathy Tyson (Help, Death in Paradise), Nigel Havers (Chariots of Fire, Coronation Street), Ed Speleers (Star Trek: Picard, You), and Tom Stourton (Barbie, Poor Things). Also returning from the first series are Jo Martin (Doctor Who, The Marlow Murder Club) and Robbie Gee (Mandy, Paddington in Peru). 

Series two finds Dom and Kay working for MI5, but their jobs are decidedly unglamorous – not everyone can be James Bond, someone has to do the admin. All that changes when Dom meets a charismatic spy called Steve (Ed Speleers). Soon Dom and Kay find themselves embroiled in an escapade that tests their wits, their friendship, and their love of Carnival, to the limits. 

Black Ops returns to BBC One and iPlayer in January 2026. The critically acclaimed first series drew an audience of 2.3M for the first episode and averaged 1.6M across the full series (BARB 28 Day 4 Screen). Series one was multi-award-winning, receiving the Best Comedy Programme at the Broadcast Awards 2024 as well as Gbemisola Ikumelo winning a BAFTA and RTS award for Female performance in a comedy and Hammed Animashaun an RTS award for Male Comedy Performance. 

Black Ops is created by Gbemisola Ikumelo, Akemnji Ndifornyen, Joe Tucker and Lloyd Woolf and was commissioned by Jon Petrie for BBC One and BBC iPlayer. The Executive Producer is Josh Cole and the Commissioning Editors for the BBC are Seb Barwell and Rhianna Adams-Christie. Akaash Meeda is Director and Kim Crowther is Producer.