Will ‘McDonald & Dodds’ return to Bath for season 5?

Another season of McDonald & Dodds has come and gone on BritBox, as DS Dodds (Jason Watkins) and DCI McDonald (Tala Gouveia) have solved another slew of mysterious murder cases in the gorgeous English city of Bath. So will this oddly loveable and efficient pair return for another outing?

After another riveting three feature-length episodes, which have included exciting guest appearances from actors like Toby Stephens, Lydia Leonard, and pop singer Pixie Lott, DCI McDonald’s partnership—and friendship—with the shy, bumbling DS Dodds is stronger than ever, though their personal lives have taken quite the turn.

In the final episode of season 4, “Wedding Fever,” DS Dodds struck up a romantic relationship with a photographer named Dora Lang (Victoria Hamilton), a testament to how instrumental McDonald has been in bringing him out of his shell, while McDonald’s relationship with her boyfriend hit the next level. As such, there’s certainly still enough character substance to explore in a potential fifth season of this beloved British crime drama.

Will there be ‘McDonald & Dodds’ season 5?

Unfortunately, it was confirmed in January 2025 that McDonald & Dodds will not return for season 5. The show was officially canceled after four seasons. A spokesperson for U.K. network ITV told RadioTimes.com that the ratings for the fourth series sadly “didn’t meet the threshold for a recommission.”

Speaking to Radio Times at the entertainment outlet’s Covers Party, star Tala Gouveia thanked fans for their support, saying, “So many people come up to us in the street and just love it – and not just a particular demographic, I think it’s been such a family show, just so many age groups and people from all around the country. And not just our country, it’s still selling all over the world,” and went on to praise the show as a “fun run.”

Her co-star, Jason Watkins, echoed her sentiments, commenting, “It was great, it did so well, it does so well abroad. I was doing stuff in the Tower of London, randomly, and there were so many people from all over the world there, and people from Venezuela, Paraguay, Dallas. So we’re sad to see it go.”

Both actors are keeping an open mind, however, insisting they’d be willing to come back if a different network decided to pick up the show in the wake of ITV’s cancelation. BritBox? U? Who knows? Anything is possible in the TV world.