The comedy drama Shakespeare & Hathaway returns, starring Mark Benton and Jo Joyner as Frank and Lu, and kicks-off with the case of a runaway pampered pet
We love a good daytime drama, and what a treat to have this colourful crime caper back on our screens.
Mark Benton and Jo Joyner return as Frank Hathaway and Lu Shakespeare, an unlikely (and often hilarious) detective duo with a unique approach to private investigating.
Today they’re trying to get to the bottom of a dognapping, as the richest pooch in Britain goes missing.
Tim the dog is the heir to a huge estate, and even has his own stylist, personal trainer and chef – would one of them facilitate Tim’s disappearance to get their hands on cash?
The fun series continues daily.
TV Times rating: ****
Here, Mark, 53, and Jo, 41, give TV Times some clues about the new series, and reveal why the best way to bond is sitting in a Mini eating a Greggs pasty…
What can you tell us about Frank and Lu’s new cases?
Jo: There’s a dognapping, a good episode with doppelgangers, Lu goes to night school to learn more about being a detective and Frank gets locked in a freezer!
Mark: The nice thing with them being private investigators is that not all the cases are murders; this isn’t Midsomer! It’s a real thrill to be back, because we both love the show so much.
Any hint of romance between Shakespeare and Hathaway?
Mark: You want to keep the possibility, but if you go too far, it might ruin the dynamic. We talked about it being like Just Good Friends. Who knows what will happen? We’ll keep it simmering under the surface.
Jo: I do think it would be quite fun, but maybe they should forever be like Ross and Rachel from Friends! We find out more about Frank’s backstory in one episode, and you do get a sense by the end that there’s an unbreakable bond between the two of them.
What do you think people love about the series?
Mark: There’s so much dark drama and heavy stuff on TV, which is wonderful, but sometimes I think people just want to sit down and enjoy something. The reaction from people is so nice. I’ve never known so many lovely messages to a show.
Jo: I was so happy when we got such a positive reaction to this. I was really reassured that people wanted to watch something simple with a sense of humour, a good old whodunit but without the blood and gore, and with nice friendships. It made me think that maybe the world isn’t quite so dark!
