Netflix's spooky comic book sequel getting a touch of Alan Partridge magic

Aha! Steve Coogan gets a second season at last

Alan Partridge (Steve Coogan)
(Image credit: Tim P. Whitby / Getty Images for Studiocanal)
Quick Summary

The Sandman will return to Netflix with a second season soon and it's been revealed that Steve Coogan will play a major role.

He'll voice Barnabas, the faithful canine companion of Destruction – a brother of Dream who has abandoned his post and must be found.

Fans of Alan Partridge will be thrilled to learn that his creator and actor, Steve Coogan, has joined the cast of one of Netflix's best TV series.

He'll voice Barnabas, the canine companion of The Prodigal in The Sandman – one of the Endless siblings (AKA Destruction) that has left his realm to wander the Earth. It's a role that Coogan should relish, as the dog is cynical and sharp in his observations.

Season 2 of The Sandman started in production last November with hope that'll it'll make its way onto the streaming service later this year. As with season 1, and the comic books on which it is based, some episodes are expected to feature standalone stories, although there will again be a running plot thread as we find out more about Dream's extended family.

As well as the returning cast, including Tom Sturridge in the lead role, Game of Thrones' Gwendoline Christie as Lucifer, and Jenna Coleman (Doctor Who) returning as Johanna Constantine, a number of other recognisable faces will be making their debuts.

Among them will be Slow Horses' Freddie Fox, who will play Loki. Clive Russell will be Odin – the second time he'll star in a Neil Gaiman adaptation after Neverwhere. And we'll also get to see Adrian Lester (Renegade Nell) as Destiny, another of the Endless.

The first season of The Sandman is available on Netflix now and is a must-watch. Its critics score of 88% on Rotten Tomatoes is perhaps too low considering how gripping and faithful to the comics it remains (on the most part, anyway). Gaiman himself is involved in the production and scripting, which is a stamp of approval in my book.

There are 11 episodes to catch up on, lasting between 37 minutes to an hour apiece, so that's plenty to binge as you prepare for the second coming.

We'll bring you all the news on The Sandman season 2's release date when it's been revealed. It shouldn't take too long to reach the best streaming devices, anyway.

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Rik Henderson
News Editor

Rik is T3’s news editor, which means he looks after the news team and the up-to-the-minute coverage of all the hottest gadgets and products you’ll definitely want to read about. And, with more than 35 years of experience in tech and entertainment journalism, including editing and writing for numerous websites, magazines, and newspapers, he’s always got an eye on the next big thing.

Rik also has extensive knowledge of AV, TV streaming and smart home kit, plus just about everything to do with games since the late 80s. Prior to T3, he spent 13 years at Pocket-lint heading up its news team, and was a TV producer and presenter on such shows as Channel 4's GamesMaster, plus Sky's Games World, Game Over, and Virtual World of Sport.