Death Valley is a new BBC One comedy-drama starring Timothy Spall as a retired actor who turns detective. The whole series is now available on BBC iPlayer.
It is very much for people who enjoy shows like Ludwig and Death in Paradise.
Set in Wales, Spall plays John Chapel, a retired actor and star of the hit fictional detective TV show Caesar.
Timothy Spall tells us: "The first time you meet my character is quite odd — it's probably going to wrong-foot the audience a bit because you start out in a contemporary setting, and then you'll see this period TV show Caesar, which was made at the beginning of the noughties but is set in 1959. The show was a huge hit, and as is the way of things, most people under the age of 50 have no idea of it! Since then, John's been living as a recluse in this beautiful place where his wife came from, and Janie meets him when she's making inquiries after his neighbour is murdered..."
Gwyneth Keyworth plays DS Janie Mallowan, who knocks on John's door during a routine investigation.
Gwyneth says: "Janie is a young police officer trying to make her way up the ranks — she takes her job very seriously, but she doesn't take herself too seriously. She has a bit of a blind spot when it comes to emotional connections, and that's because she's still grieving the loss of her best friend, which she went into a bit of a depression about and hasn't really recovered from. During her depression, Janie became obsessed with Caesar, and has based a lot of how she likes to work procedurally on this crime show. A few years later, there's been a murder in a property developing firm and she's calling on the neighbours to see if anyone knew the deceased and if anything suspicious has arisen — and it turns out that John Chapel lives in that house!"
Here's everything we know about Death Valley...
Death Valley release date
Death Valley, which is six parts, began on BBC One on Sunday, May 25 at 8.15 pm [see our TV Guide for full listings]. Episodes are being shown on Sundays.
It is available as a box set on BBC iPlayer.
In the US, Death Valley was released on Thursday, May 29 on BritBox. Check out our full list of BritBox shows.
Death Valley plot
John Chapel is a retired actor and star of the hit fictional detective TV show Caesar.
But when John's neighbor is murdered, Chapel forms an unlikely partnership with Detective Sergeant Janie Mallowan (Gwyneth Keyworth).
The BBC teases: "Every week, they get to the bottom of gripping murders, with various stunning Welsh locations providing a backdrop to their investigations.
"When John and Janie are not arguing about a case, they're inevitably up in each other's personal business. Despite their differences, they soon realise they are the closest thing each other has to a best friend, and unwittingly help one another move on from the past."
What happens in episode 1?
An ambitious young detective has a surprise encounter with the retired actor who played her TV cop show hero while investigating a suicide. He claims that the death was actually a murder, and when forensics prove him right, she invites him to help her crack the case.
What happens in episode 2?
After a walker is found dead on a Welsh mountain trail, John's insight into the unidentified woman sets a murder investigation in motion. Janie ropes a reluctant John into joining her mother's walking group to help solve the case. Janie's fierce defence of one of the suspects reveals more about her past, while John finds himself out of the house and enjoying himself a lot more than he's ready to admit. Guest starring Vicki Pepperdine.
Death Valley cast
Starring alongside Timothy Spall is Gwyneth Keyworth as Detective Sergeant Janie Mallowan. Also in the cast is Steffan Rhodri, best known as bus driver Dave Coaches in Gavin & Stacey, who plays DCI Clarke, Janie's boss and so-called mentor.
Alexandria Riley (Baby Reindeer, Lost Boys and Fairies, The Pembrokeshire Murders) plays Baxter, a straight-talking pathologist and friend of Janie.
Also in the cast is Melanie Walters (Father Brown) is Yvonne, Janie’s "no boundaries" mother; Remy Beasley (Steeltown Murders) as Rhiannon the picture of perfection and an old adversary from Janie’s past; Mike Bubbins (Mammoth) as Tony — the un-self-aware and overly friendly Desk Sergeant and Rithvik Andugula (Extraordinary) as DC Evan Chaudhry — the eager to please and somewhat naïve junior police officer.
Guest stars include, Kiell Smith-Bynoe (Ghosts), Sian Gibson (Peter Kay’s Car Share), Patricia Hodge (All Creatures Great and Small), Jim Howick (Ghosts), Karl Johnson (The Following Events Are Based on a Pack of Lies), Colin McFarlane (The Dark Knight Trilogy), Vicki Pepperdine (Worzel Gummidge) Steve Speirs (Inside No.9), Amy Trigg (Luther).
Is there a trailer?
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