It's back! The Outlaws returns for a third series

Thursday: The Outlaws (BBC One, 9pm)

We’re heading to Bristol for a showdown with the most unlikely bunch of outlaws the screen has ever seen.

Yes, Stephen Merchant and co are back for a third series of thrilling yet comedic adventures in which they attempt to stay one step ahead of the law – and as far away as possible from the villain known as The Dean.

It was Merchant himself who came up with the original idea; he’s also written most of the scripts.

The gang returns in The Outlaws

“Growing up, my parents used to work for Bristol Community Service,” he explains. “I was always intrigued because it was such a mix of people. You’d have the businessman who’d got caught drink-driving or some student who’d got in trouble for some minor thing. Or there was an old guy who was stealing cabbages from allotments just to get community service, because he was lonely and he liked the social aspect of it.

“What was interesting to me was that it was a way of bringing completely disparate groups of people together. You could have a random cross-section of society and it was totally legit that they were all there doing community service. Also, I liked the idea of doing something which had a crime thriller aspect but that didn’t just involve policemen or private detectives.”

One of the great joys of the series is seeing the cast in action. Hollywood legend Christopher Walken grabbed most of the headlines when it was announced he would be playing one of those serving community service, but the likes of Rhianne Barreto, Gamba Cole, Darren Boyd, Clare Perkins and Eleanor Tomlinson are just as important to the ensemble.

We can also add Jessica Gunning to that list. The West Yorkshire-born star’s profile has been raised recently by the success of Netflix’s Baby Reindeer, in which she plays a stalker, so a few of that show’s fans may tune in to The Outlaws to see her in action in a very different role.

“Diane is persistent, she’s ruthless, no-nonsense, she never misses a trick – or so she thinks!” says Gunning of her alter ego in this show. “In a dream world she would become a police officer. She’s Cagney & Lacey’s number one fan.”

The star adds: “It’s been lovely all being back together, and I felt very lucky that I was in the writers’ room this time as I co-wrote an episode with Stephen, episode five. It’s been really exciting to be a part of helping draft the storyline for series three and get to know the characters more than I did before.”

When we catch up with the gang, The Dean is behind bars awaiting trial, although it might not be long before he’s back on the streets to make their lives a misery.

But first, when one of their number discloses a dark secret, the rest of the group realise that fading away to get on with their lives is not an option because they’re about to be plunged into mortal danger.

It seems that Bristol really is in the Wild West.