A popular television drama set in Cumbria looks set to return to the small screen.

Millions of people tuned in to watch Christopher Eccleston star in The A Word, on BBC 1 this spring.

Set amid the striking Cumbrian countryside, viewers tuned in week-after-week to follow the story of the Hughes family as they battled to come to terms with their son Joe's autism diagnosis.

The first episode of the Peter Bowker-written series attracted 4.7m viewers, and so audiences will be thrilled at the news that a second series has been commissioned.

Charlotte Moore, acting director of television, said: “Following BBC Drama's tremendous start to the year, it is clear audiences are looking for even greater ambition and high quality. 

"So I want to continue to expand our range even further and reaffirm my commitment to commission the very best drama in the UK.

“Two of our best writers, Peter Bowker and Steven Knight, have been recommissioned. Family drama The A-Word will return, challenging perceptions of living with autism, and we've commissioned two more series of the mesmerising Peaky Blinders for BBC Two."

Peaky Blinders stars Egremont twins Matt and Jeffrey Postlethwaite.