Now that season three of ITV's crime drama McDonald & Dodds has concluded, the question now is whether it will return for season four.
Created by Robert Murphy, the British series follows two detectives who are thrown together despite (seemingly) having nothing in common. Wildly ambitious DCI McDonald (Tala Gouveia) and the shy DS Dodds (Jason Watkins) form an unlikely friendship and an entertaining partnership as they solve perplexing crimes in the city of Bath.
Following its premiere in 2020, the title proved popular with viewers and was renewed for two more seasons.
But will it be back for a fourth? Here's everything you need to know about McDonald & Dodds season 4.
McDonald & Dodds season 4 potential release date: When will it air?
McDonald & Dodds season four has yet to be confirmed by ITV, so we don't have a release date. Sorry, folks.
The case is still very much open, though. Considering season three only just concluded last month (July 10), there is still plenty of time for that all-important renewal.
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So far, the crime drama has had a fairly consistent release schedule, with season one premiering in 2020 and seasons two and three debuting at around the same time in 2021 and 2022 respectively.
Our detective skills therefore estimate that if the series is greenlit for a fourth season, then it would land at some point in early 2023.
Watch this space for any updates.
McDonald & Dodds season 4 cast: Who will be in it?
There is no confirmed cast list for McDonald & Dodds season 4, but Gouveia and Watkins would undoubtedly reprise their roles as the titular detectives.
There's no McDonald & Dodds without McDonald and Dodds, after all.
As for the other major players, we'd also expect Claire Skinner (Chief Supt Ormond), Lily Sacofsky (DC Milena Paciorkowski), Danyal Ismail (DC Martin Malik) and Charlie Chambers (DC Goldie) to all make a comeback.
Season three featured numerous guest appearances from Doctor Who's Paul McGann and Louise Jameson, Emmerdale's Kelvin Fletcher, F1TV's Will Buxton, Jonathan Creek's Alan Davis and Industry's Sarah Parish.
So there's always the potential for some other familiar TV faces to show up in season four too.
McDonald & Dodds season 4 plot: What will happen?
A new season will almost certainly bring with it a slew of new cases for the mismatched duo to solve, but Gouveia has spoken out about her and co-star Watkins' desire to move from their office in Bath to the Canary Islands for a big-screen outing.
"Sometimes we make suggestions for storylines – Jason and I are both very keen on a holiday film," she told Radio Times.
"McDonald loves Tenerife, so we think it would be great to have a film set there, especially as we film in the winter. I can see Dodds in his Bermuda shorts. I think it would be such a great opportunity for loads of comedy. That's my pitch."
Gouveia also spoke a bit about what could be coming for her character next, teasing: "It's strange because when you play a character, you start feeling empathy for them, so you want good things to happen to them.
"But actually, good things are often quite boring for the show – you want the problems, breakups or to see someone getting reprimanded, all that drama, so I'm probably hoping for more tension and more challenges for her, which is fun to play… but I do wish her the best."
McDonald & Dodds season 4 trailer: When can we see it?
Sadly, no renewal means no trailer.
Of course, when (and if) it lands, you'll be able to watch it here, so watch this space for all the latest news and scoops.
McDonald & Dodds airs on Sunday nights on ITV and viewers can catch up on ITVHub.
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Social Executive, Entertainment Portfolio After completing her joint honours degree in Journalism and English Literature at Cardiff University, Iona joined Digital Spy as a Content Production Intern in 2022, where she wrote across both news and features, specialising in TV and movies. Following her internship, Iona continued contributing to the site as a freelance reporter, becoming social executive for the Hearst UK entertainment portfolio in summer 2025. Iona now leads the DS social channels, covering red carpets with stars such as Paul Mescal, Austin Butler, and more.
