Sky confirm 'Mad Dogs' series 2, maybe 3

Sky have revealed their well-received drama Mad Dogs will return for a second series. The sun-kissed thriller, about a group of childhood friends reunited in Majorca, who become embroiled in a violent murder-mystery when one of them is killed, was a hit for Sky1 earlier this year. Max Beesley, Philip Glenister, John Simm and Marc Warren have also been optioned for a third series, if one gets commissioned. Four new episodes of the BAFTA-nominated show will be filmed soon, for an early-2012 release.

Andy Harries, Executive Producer:

"Mad Dogs had such an impact that it was as obvious as a dead goat that we had to do more and all the our amazing cast felt the same."

Suzanne Mackie, Executive Producer:

"Before we had finished the first series of Mad Dogs we felt that there was so much more to do with these characters. I have been working with Cris Cole on the scripts ever since we finished shooting series one and the ideas for series two and three are every bit as explosive and inventive as they were at the beginning."

SPOILERS BEGIN. Series 2 will pick up "where series one ended -- with Woody, Baxter and Rick driving away from the villa as Quinn has chosen to stay and make a new life in Majorca. In the opening scenes viewers will see Woody, Baxter and Rick have a change of heart and turn back. However, it isn’t long before they realise they’ve made the wrong move setting themselves on an even more misguided course. In the series two opener viewers will see another killing and an escape with the drug money but can they really make a getaway when there are people who want their money back? The complicated situation the friends have found themselves in continues to spin wildly out of control and surely it can only be a matter of time before they face their day of reckoning..." SPOILERS END.

I have mixed feelings about this news. I was under the impression Mad Dogs was a finite story when it was airing, and it certainly ended in a way that didn't seem to require more. For me, the first two episodes were really good, but the final two struggled to finish the story in a satisfying way. I can't see a creative reason for a second series, really. Will we follow the surviving characters on the run, trying to escape the island, with bent cops on their tails? I don't know, this news makes as much sense as a sequel to Shallow Grave right now.

What do you think? Are you glad Mad Dogs is coming back? Is there really more story to tell here, or is this just servicing Sky's need for original UK drama? Do you think a second and third series is justified?