BritBox offers up the Timothy Spall/Gwyneth Keyworth vehicle, Death Valley. It has become a new personal favorite. BritBox has a number of my personal favorites on offer. Death in Paradise, Murder is Easy, et al.
And yes, there is a pattern.
Mysteries all.
It helps that the series is set in Wales, the land of “a bell in every tooth.” Also the site of my personal Waterloo on Mt Snowdon, a charity climb. I adore the accents and Keyworth is also my new personal favorite.
The Story
The six part series is about the teaming up of retired TV detective Caesar and Detective Sergeant Jane Mallowan. Actor John Chapel; Caesar, is roped into helping the DS in her first case in the series.
As things, and the series, develop the retired actor becomes a more enthusiastic partner.
A tad Familiar
Death Valley can be seen as a sort of replacement for the Death in Paradise spin off; Beyond Paradise. Another murder by numbers series based upon a small village lifestyle with amusing and eccentric characters.
The above paragraph may sound somewhat dismissive of this new offering, but trust me, it is not. I adore these little things.
The main Cast
Gwyneth Keyworth is DS Mallowan.
Alexandria Riley is Helen Baxter.
Timothy Spall is John Chapel.
Steffan Rhodri is DCI Barry Clarke.
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Show creator Paul Doolan gives us this familiar feeling detective show. From the first episode, Doolan manages to make this world as comfy as an old slipper. The cast helps, but it is also about the writing.
Each character is capable of becoming a fully rounded person. Backstory is used a lot in the first episode. Jane’s obsession with Det Caesar and his reluctance to talk about his late wife.
Death Valley
The title of this one is evocative of its setting. Wales has mountains and mountains are surrounded by; everyone: Valleys. Way hey! The “death” has been tacked on because this is all about murder.
Sadly, the show only runs for only six episodes. A rather normal occurrence since COVID-19. I really do miss the days where television shows had 32 episode runs. Still, as new shows go, this one is a winner. We do not need a plethora of episodes to allow for character development.
Do we?
The Verdict
Death Valley is a solid 5 star effort. It fills that Beyond Paradise gap and allows us the brilliance of Spall and Keyworth. In fact, the entire cast have a solid Death in Paradise/Beyond Paradise vibe. Clever and funny characters brought about by solid directing and great writing.
The show is streaming on, of course, BritBox. Head on over and join me on my binge of this great little show.
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