Michael Chiklis will return for Accused season 2 and more to know about the upcoming season

Based on a British series, Accused is a different spin on the classic crime drama. Each episode opens with someone on trial before flashbacks slowly unveil just what it is they're accused of and the circumstances that led to the trial itself. 

The show is unique for a few factors, mainly that every episode boasts a different guest star cast and storyline. There's also how the flashbacks can unveil that the case is much deeper than it seems and often fool the audiences into believing the crime is different than what it really is. There's also the question of whether justice was truly done or not. 

The series debuted in January of 2023 with a 15-episode series. The premiere drew 2.1 million viewers and another 8.7 on playbacks, the highest-rated Fox debut in years. That led to a second season ordered in March 2023. Season 2 was delayed by the 2023 Hollywood strikes, with Fox eventually deciding to hold it off until the Fall of 2024. 

So we know that Accused is coming back, but when and who's starring in it?

When does Accused return?

Fox just unveiled their 2024-25 schedule which has Accused leading off on Tuesdays at 8/7c, the expectation is that the season will arrive sometime in September or early October. It will be followed by the new Kirsten Kurek crime drama Murder in a Small Town. There's no word yet on episode count as possible it's only 13 episodes unless Fox decides to extend it. 

One thing that helped Accused is that, being an anthology, the show doesn't need to pay for a regular cast but rotate guest actors, freeing up the budget. That might help it earn more attention from Fox. 

Accused season 2 cast

Per Deadline, a big addition for Season 2 is real-life spouses, William H. Macy and Felicity Huffman, although it's not sure if they're starring in the same episode together. There's also Nick Cannon and likely more guest stars will be announced over the summer.

A surprise is that Michael Chiklis will return to the show. The Emmy award winner was featured in the show's pilot episode as a father wrestling with worries his son might be planning a shooting. It set the tone on a twist at the end regarding his own crime. Chiklis also directed the episode "Jack's Story"."

It's unsure if Chiklis is reprising his earlier role to show what's happened to his character. It's also possible that, like classic TV show anthologies, Chiklis is playing a completely different character for a new story. That could pave the way for other Season 1 guest stars to appear in Season 2. 

More details on guest stars and storylines will be coming over the summer, but it looks like Accused is prepared to build on its successful freshman year with even more fantastic one-episode stories that pack a big punch.

Accused Season 1 streaming on Hulu.