SUN,SEA AND SIZZLING CHEMISTRY

Will expat cops Miranda and Max finally realise they’re made for each other as TV drama hit The Mallorca Files returns?

After the first series of daytime hit The Mallorca Files aired in 2019, fans were desperate to know if its detective duo would act on the simmering chemistry between them. The BBC1 drama centred on uptight British cop DC Miranda Blake (Elen Rhys), who was paired with laidback German Max Winter (Julian Looman) to chase villains on the Spanish island while driving each other spare with their differing approaches.

‘It’s a classic “will they, won’t they”,’ says Elen, 36, ahead of series two starting this week. ‘But this series Miranda and Max have developed a deeper friendship...’

What about Max’s girlfriend Carmen (Tábata Cerezo), though? ‘I told Dan Sefton, the show’s creator, it was important to me it didn’t become a woman-versuswoman story,’ says Elen. ‘The romantic tension is still there, but now Max and Miranda are better friends it’s more awkward and exciting.’

The six new episodes bear the show’s hallmark – light-hearted crime plots, referencing classic films and played out in spectacular locations. With the show being an international co-production that’s been sold to more than 70 countries, it’s a daytime series with a primetime budget.

All the stops were pulled out to find grand settings for each episode, even Real Mallorca’s football stadium during a match. ‘I’m proud of what we pulled off,’ says executive producer Ben Donald.

Elen and Julian have become good friends in real life, which is a big help during a four-month shoot. Elen took her two-year-old son Wilf to Mallorca while Wilf’s father stayed at home while Julian decamped from Vienna to Mallorca with his then-pregnant partner, Dutch singer Annemieke Van

Dam, and their son Adam, three. Their daughter Olivia was born in July. ‘Elen and I chat a lot about being working parents,’ says Julian, 35. ‘If one of us has a bad night because our child’s not sleeping, we have a lot of understanding towards each other.’

The hope is that The Mallorca Files is an escape from the gloomy winter lockdown. ‘I’ve been absolutely delighted with the reaction,’ says Dan Sefton, ‘Many have told me it’s their favourite show and a breath of fresh air.’

The Mallorca Files, weekdays, 1.45pm, BBC1.

DC MAX WINTER (Julian Looman) German Max drives Miranda a bit crazy with his playfulness, but we will see a more assertive side to him in this series. DC MIRANDA BLAKE (Elen Rhys) The British detective is less uptight since deciding to stay on the island. She has a grudging respect for Max and starts to open up. CARMEN LORENZO (Tábata Cerezo) Max’s girlfriend is a free spirit and her local knowledge is often useful to Max and Miranda, but Carmen is put out by how much time he spends with his work partner. POLICE CHIEF INES VILLEGAS (Maria Fernandez-Ache) She’s still sarcastic, but Palma’s glamorous chief – seen here at the opera in episode one – has warmed to her foreign coppers.