Motherland director’s new BBC crime drama Death Valley is bringing a “hilarious” detective duo to town

Move over Steve Arnott and Kate Fleming (that’s a Line of Duty reference, in case you’re wondering), Motherland director Simon Hynd’s new BBC crime drama, Death Valley, is bringing a new detective duo to town – and it’s set to be nothing short of hilarious. Oh, how we love a TV sleuth (or two).

The new six-part series will plunge viewers into a murder mystery, with two "unlikely" individuals teaming up to form a cosy crime-detecting duo. Timothy Spall stars as the "amateur" half of the couple - his character, John Chapel, has spent years starring in the crime series Caesar – only he’s never actually solved a real crime. Fortunately, his |other half" DS Janie Mallowan (Gwyneth Keyworth) has. And while their partnership is unlikely, it seems it might just be a match made in crime-solving heaven…

Ahead of the show’s arrival on our screens, here’s everything you need to know about the upcoming series…

What is Death Valley about?

Set in Wales, the six-part murder mystery series follows an unlikely crime-solving partnership between John Chapel (Timothy Spall) and Janie Mallowan (Gwyneth Keyworth). John is an eccentric national treasure, a retired actor and star of hit fictional detective TV show Caesar, while Janie is a disarming Welsh detective sergeant – so how on earth do they end up forming a partnership?

Well, according to the official synopsis, it all started with the murder of John’s neighbour – and despite John and Janie being “an odd, yet hilarious duo with opposing instincts, every week, they get to the bottom of gripping murders, with various stunning Welsh locations providing a backdrop to their investigations.

“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.”

Speaking about the detective drama, its star Gwyneth Keyworth said: "Murder. Mystery. Comedy. AND TIMOTHY SPALL! I'm absolutely buzzing. I'm grateful to be working on a show that truly celebrates Wales - not just its landscapes and culture, but also its unique quirks and the humour that defines its people."

The show’s creator and writer Paul Doolan, also shared his excitement about the series. “I'm such a huge fan of the crime genre and I love writing comedy,” he said. “So, it's been a delight to see the show come to life with such a brilliant array of actors and guest stars for our murder suspects.”

Who’s starring in Death Valley?

• Timothy Spall as John Chapel
• Gwyneth Keyworth as Janie Mallowan
• Steffan Rhodri (House of the Dragon) as DCI Clarke
• Alexandria Riley (Baby Reindeer) as Baxter
• Melanie Walters (Gavin & Stacey) as Yvonne
• Remy Beasley (One Day) as Rhiannon
• Mike Bubbins (Mammoth) as Tony
• Rithvik Andugula (Extraordinary) as DC Evan Chaudhry

Guest artists featuring across the series include:

• Kiell Smith-Bynoe (Ghosts)
• Sian Gibson (Mammoth)
• Patricia Hodge (A Very English Scandal)
• Jim Howick (Ghosts)
• Karl Johnson (True Love)
• Colin McFarlane (The War Between The Land and the Sea, The Dark Knight Trilogy)
• Vicki Pepperdine (Poor Things, Worzel Gummidge)
• Steve Speirs (Inside No.9)
• Amy Trigg (Luther)

How can I watch Death Valley?

While the BBC hasn’t yet shared an official air date for Death Valley, we do know that it will be released this year and it will arrive on BBC Two, BBC One Wales, and BBC iPlayer. It will also be released on BritBox North America.