A second season of Jamestown has been ordered by Sky 1 on the eve of the first seasons premiere.

The story of the birth of a nation, Jamestown charts the early days of the first British settlers as they embark on new lives in America.

The first season, which premiered in the UK on Friday 5 May at 9pm on Sky 1 and became the channel’s best-performing launch of the year, has been described as “An epic drama from the makers of Downton Abbey… a gripping Western-style adventure” by TV Times; “A sparky period saga about the first female colonists in America” by Radio Times; and as being “packed with talented British actors” by The Telegraph.

The eight-part second series, again written by Bill Gallagher (Lark Rise to Candleford, The Paradise), will see the ensemble cast, led by Naomi Battrick as Jocelyn, Sophie Rundle as Alice and Niamh Walsh as Verity, return for more adventures in 17th-century America. Principal photography will commence in May 2017.

Jamestown is a Carnival Films production for Sky.