Miss Scarlet and The Duke
Miss Scarlet and The Duke is a British-American period crime television drama created by Rachael New, starring Kate Phillips and Stuart Martin as the title characters, two Victorian detectives.[1][5]
| Miss Scarlet and The Duke | |
|---|---|
| Genre | |
| Created by | Rachael New |
| Starring | |
| Country of origin |
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| Original language | English |
| No. of series | 3 |
| No. of episodes | 18 |
| Production | |
| Executive producers |
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| Producer | Aaron Farrell |
| Production locations | |
| Running time | 60 minutes |
| Production companies |
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| Release | |
| Original network | |
| Original release | 31 March 2020 – present |
The first series began broadcasting on Alibi on 31 March 2020[6] and premiered in the US on 17 January 2021, as part of PBS's Masterpiece anthology series.[7] Miss Scarlet and The Duke was the first series that PBS purchased from, or co-produced with, a British channel other than the BBC, Channel 4, or ITV. In Canada, it is available on CBC Gem.
A second series was announced by PBS on 29 March 2021[8] and started airing on Alibi on 14 June 2022, while the PBS run started on 16 October 2022.
The show was later renewed for series three and four,[9] with series three premiering on PBS on 8 January 2023.[10]
Plot and characters
In Victorian London, 1882, Eliza Scarlet is left almost penniless when her father, Henry, unexpectedly dies. Although marriage would appear to be her only option for financial security, Eliza resolves to take over her father's detective agency alone, working under his name. Struggling to build her reputation in the male-dominated world of crime-solving, she frequently calls on her childhood friend William Wellington, a gruff Scottish detective inspector of Scotland Yard, for assistance.
William is known in the police force as "The Duke" or simply "Duke", a nickname referring to the Duke of Wellington.[11] Eliza's late father Henry saved William from the Glasgow streets as a child, and later mentored him as he trained as a policeman. As a result, William looked up to Henry as a father figure. William once kissed Eliza following her dog's death, which he characterises as "a chaste kiss", to her annoyance. Though he is irritated by Eliza's detective aspirations, he cares for her and gradually begins to show respect for her skills.
Eliza also befriends Rupert Parker, a wealthy man who provides her with direly needed loans. Rupert is the bachelor (and secretly gay) son of Mrs. Parker, a rich landlady who owns Eliza's home, and relies on Eliza's advice to navigate his personal life. Eliza lives with her housekeeper, Ivy, who helped raise her after Eliza's mother died (some time before the series begins). Eliza and William bicker and argue constantly, but also share moments of subtle flirtation and care for each other deeply.
Series writer and creator Rachael New took inspiration for Eliza's character from Elizabeth Bennet, the heroine of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice.[11] Born into a middle-class family, Eliza uses her appearance as a refined Victorian lady to her advantage; both clients and suspects underestimate her and she frequently relies on this, her wits, and her father's training to solve cases. William and Eliza work on several cases together, though she is uncredited, causing disputes between them. Eliza also relies on a black criminal, Moses, for help dealing with the dangerous underworld of London. Moses is amused by Eliza's gumption, and they connect as outsiders to society.
Cast
Overview
| Actor | Character | Occupation | Series[4] | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | |||
| Kate Phillips | Eliza Scarlet | Private detective | Main | ||
| Stuart Martin | William "Duke" Wellington | Police detective inspector | Main | ||
| Ansu Kabia | Moses Valentine | Petty criminal; Eliza's assistant | Main | ||
| Cathy Belton | Ivy Woods | Housekeeper | Main | ||
| Simon Ludders | Mr Potts | Coroner | Regular | Guest | |
| Kevin Doyle | Henry Scarlet | Private detective | Regular | ||
| Andrew Gower | Rupert Parker | Businessman | Regular | ||
| Matthew Malone | Clarence Honeychurch | Police constable | Regular | ||
| Danny Midwinter | Frank Jenkins | Police detective sergeant | Regular | ||
| Nick Dunning | Stirling | Police superintendent | Regular | ||
| Richard Evans | Herr Hildegard | Funeral director | Regular | ||
| Amy McAllister | Tilly Hildegard | Regular | |||
| Ian Pirie | Monro | Police superintendent | Regular | ||
| Evan McCabe | Oliver Fitzroy | Police detective | Regular | ||
| Tim Chipping | Phelps | Police detective sergeant | Regular | ||
| Jessie Cave | Harriet "Hattie" Parker | Lady's companion | Regular | ||
| Felix Scott | Patrick Nash | Private detective | Recurring | Regular | |
| Brian Bovell | Solomon | Shopkeeper | Guest | Regular | |
| Sophie Robertson | Arabella Acaster | Restaurant owner | Regular | ||
| Helen Norton | Mrs Parker | Landlady | Recurring | ||
| Oliver Chris | Basil Sinclaire | Journalist | Recurring | Guest | |
| Laura Rollins | Clementine | Sex worker | Recurring | ||
Detective agency
- Kate Phillips as Eliza Scarlet, an ambitious young woman who takes over her late father's detective agency
- Ansu Kabia as Moses Valentine, a Jamaican British petty criminal whom Eliza frequently hires as an assistant, informant, or debt collector
- Kevin Doyle as Henry Scarlet (series 1), Eliza's father and William's mentor
- Andrew Gower as Rupert Parker (series 1), Eliza's friend and investor
Police officials
- Stuart Martin as William "Duke" Wellington, a detective inspector with the Metropolitan Police
- Simon Ludders as Mr Potts (series 1–2; guest, series 3), a city coroner, who antagonises Eliza but later romantically pursues Ivy
- Matthew Malone as Clarence Honeychurch (series 1), a police constable
- Danny Midwinter as Frank Jenkins (series 1), William's assistant, a detective sergeant
- Nick Dunning as Superintendent Stirling (series 1), William's supervisor
- Ian Pirie as Superintendent Monro (series 2– ), Stirling's successor
- Evan McCabe as Oliver Fitzroy (series 2– ), a new and untested detective, and the son of the police commissioner
- Tim Chipping as DS Phelps (series 2– ), a harsh colleague of William's
Associates
- Cathy Belton as Ivy Woods, Eliza's housekeeper
- Richard Evans as Herr Hildegard (series 1), a funeral director who works near Eliza's office
- Amy McAllister as Tilly Hildegard (series 1), Herr Hildegard's German niece, who pursues and eventually marries Rupert
- Jessie Cave as Harriet "Hattie" Parker (series 2), Mrs Parker's niece and companion
- Felix Scott as Patrick Nash (recurring, series 2; regular, series 3– ), another private detective
- Brian Bovell as Solomon (guest, series 2; regular, series 3– ), a shopkeeper specialising in exotic poisons
- Sophie Robertson as Arabella Acaster (series 3– ), an old schoolmate who bullied Eliza as a child
- Helen Norton as Mrs Parker (recurring, series 1–2), Eliza's landlady and Rupert's mother
- Oliver Chris as Basil Sinclaire (recurring, series 2– ), a journalist specialising in sensational crime stories
- Laura Rollins as Clementine (recurring, series 2– ), a sex worker and friend of Moses', occasionally hired by Eliza for various tasks
Episodes
Series 1 (2020)
| No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date [lower-alpha 1] | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Inheritance" | Declan O'Dwyer | Rachael New | 31 March 2020 | |
| After the death of her ailing private detective father, Eliza Scarlet is forced to take on a missing persons case to pay his debts, but the investigation is complicated when she realizes that her client, a seasoned con man, has manipulated her to gain control of his wife's inheritance. With the aid of her father's old protégé, Detective Inspector William "Duke" Wellington, and local criminal Moses Valentine, Eliza proves that her client is a bigamist and apprehends him, enabling his wife to regain her inheritance and her freedom. | |||||
| 2 | "The Woman in Red" | Declan O'Dwyer | Rachael New | 7 April 2020 | |
| Eliza's landlady, enraged by the former's refusal to marry her son, calls in the unpaid lease she owes for her ancestral home. Eliza is hired to investigate a murder — only to discover that the dead man committed suicide and that the supposed murderer was framed by his wife after she uncovered his homosexuality. With help from Moses, she obtains the necessary evidence to clear the man's name seconds before his execution. Eliza subsequently hires Moses to collect payment from a difficult former client and pays off her lease in full. | |||||
| 3 | "Deeds Not Words" | Declan O'Dwyer | Rachael New | 14 April 2020 | |
| Duke hires Eliza to go undercover and infiltrate a women's suffrage group campaigning for the vote. | |||||
| 4 | "Memento Mori" | Declan O'Dwyer | Ben Edwards | 21 April 2020 | |
| Eliza finds herself contacted by a death photographer who seems to be receiving bizarre and threatening messages from beyond the grave. She later makes a surprising discovery about her father and realises that Duke is taking the credit for solving cases that she herself has solved. | |||||
| 5 | "Cell 99" | Declan O'Dwyer | Ben Edwards | 28 April 2020 | |
| Eliza's discovery of her father's casebook leads her to an abandoned prison on the outskirts of London. She and William investigate what seems like an empty building, but they soon discover that it is the hideout for a criminal gang. William believes Moses is involved, but Eliza defends him. | |||||
| 6 | "The Case of Henry Scarlet" | Declan O'Dwyer | Rachael New | 5 May 2020 | |
| Eliza discovers that her father's death may have been murder. With time running out, she has to solve a perplexing puzzle. | |||||
Series 2 (2022)
| No. overall | No. in series | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date [lower-alpha 1] | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | 1 | "Pandora's Box" | Steve Hughes | Rachael New | 14 June 2022 | |
| Eliza is hired to investigate the disappearance of a young woman who works at Wentworth's department store: a case which has already been dismissed by Duke. | ||||||
| 8 | 2 | "The Black Witch Moth" | Steve Hughes | Rachael New | 21 June 2022 | |
| Eliza is hired by an insurance company to investigate the theft of a rare sketch by Charles Darwin, but the case becomes more complicated when she finds that the insurance company that hired her doesn't exist. | ||||||
| 9 | 3 | "A Pauper's Grave" | Steve Hughes | Rachael New | 28 June 2022 | |
| Eliza is accused of breaking into the city morgue and stealing files when her mother's ring is found there, but the subsequent investigation reveals ties to a series of past thefts. | ||||||
| 10 | 4 | "Angel of Inferno" | Ivan Zivkovic | Rachael New | 5 July 2022 | |
| Eliza is hired by a quack doctor to investigate a blackmail case. Meanwhile, rival private detective Patrick Nash tries to force her to join his agency. | ||||||
| 11 | 5 | "Quarter to Midnight" | Ivan Zivkovic | Ben Edwards | 12 July 2022 | |
| Duke is offered a promotion to chief inspector that would require him to transfer to Glasgow, while Eliza discovers two murders were inspired by a crime novel. | ||||||
| 12 | 6 | "The Proposal" | Ivan Zivkovic | Ben Edwards and Rachael New | 19 July 2022 | |
| After Nash is injured in a murder attempt, he hires Eliza to find the man responsible. Forced to accept the position in Glasgow, Duke struggles to train Oliver Fitzroy, the police commissioner's son, as his replacement. | ||||||
Series 3 (2023)
| No. overall | No. in series | Title [13] | Directed by [4] | Written by | Original air date [lower-alpha 2] | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13 | 1 | "The Vanishing" | Steve Hughes | Rachael New (story by Rachael New & Ben Edwards) | 8 January 2023 | |
| Eliza is hired to investigate the disappearance of a magician, unaware that William is also on the case. William tries to quash leaked case information to the press. | ||||||
| 14 | 2 | "Arabella[lower-alpha 3]" | Steve Hughes | Sarah-Louise Hawkins | 15 January 2023 | |
| William and Eliza investigate a series of thefts at a local restaurant. Eliza encounters her childhood enemy Arabella and comes to suspect that she is involved in the crimes. | ||||||
| 15 | 3 | "Hotel St Marc" | Rachael New[16] | Ben Edwards (story by Rachael New & Ben Edwards) | 22 January 2023 | |
| 16 | 4 | "Bloodline" | Ivan Zivkovic | Ben Edwards (story by Rachael New & Ben Edwards) | 29 January 2023 | |
| 17 | 5 | "The Heir" | Steve Hughes | Dan Muirden | 5 February 2023 | |
| 18 | 6 | "The Jewel of the North" | Steve Hughes | Ben Edwards (story by Rachael New & Ben Edwards) | 12 February 2023 | |
Notes
- Series 1 and 2 were first broadcast in the UK on Alibi. These are the airdates shown here.[4][12]
- These airdates reflect each episode's first terrestrial broadcast date, in the US on PBS. All series 3 episodes were made available to stream in the US on PBS' streaming service, PBS Passport, in November 2022, and were added weekly to Amazon Prime Video's PBS Masterpiece subscription channel beginning 24 November, ahead of the series' television premiere on 8 January 2023.[13]
- Some sources list the episode title as "Arabella's".[14][15]
Production
The first series was filmed in Dublin, Ireland,[1][5] with exteriors of Eliza's home shot on Mount Pleasant Square, Ranelagh. The distinctive green dome of Mary Immaculate, Refuge of Sinners Church, Rathmines is visible in some street scenes. The police station where the Duke works is in fact the CBS Westland Row in Cumberland Street.
As of series 2, production moved to Belgrade, Serbia,[2] where it remains as of series 4.[3]
References
- Clarke, Stewart (3 December 2019). "PBS Masterpiece Picks Up A+E's Period Drama 'Miss Scarlet and the Duke'". Variety.
- "'Miss Scarlet and The Duke' begins filming Season 2 in Belgrade". British Period Dramas. 10 August 2021. Retrieved 18 December 2022.
- Rice, Lynette (29 November 2022). "'Miss Scarlet And The Duke' Renewed For Fourth Season By Masterpiece". Deadline. Retrieved 18 December 2022.
- Miss Scarlet and The Duke at IMDb
- "Irish-made Miss Scarlet and The Duke lands on Alibi". RTÉ.ie. 26 March 2020.
- "Miss Scarlet and The Duke". Andrew Gower. 6 July 2019. Retrieved 23 August 2020.
- "Miss Scarlet & The Duke: Episode 1: Inheritance". Masterpiece. Retrieved 18 January 2021.
- "'MASTERPIECE Announces Second Season of Miss Scarlet and The Duke". Masterpiece. 29 March 2021.
- "MASTERPIECE Announces Miss Scarlet and The Duke Season 4". Masterpiece. PBS. 29 November 2022. Retrieved 6 February 2023.
- Rice, Lynette (28 July 2022). "'Miss Scarlet & The Duke' Renewed For Season 3 At PBS Masterpiece". Deadline. Retrieved 30 July 2022.
- "Interview: Miss Scarlet and The Duke's Creator Rachael New". Masterpiece. Retrieved 21 November 2022.
- "Miss Scarlet and The Duke – Listings". Next Episode. Retrieved 2 June 2022.
- "Get Ready for Miss Scarlet and The Duke Season 3". PBS. Retrieved 6 December 2022.
- "Miss Scarlet & The Duke | Season 3 | Episode 2: Arabella's". PBS Passport. PBS. Retrieved 6 December 2022.
- "Miss Scarlet and the Duke, Season 3". Prime Video. Amazon. Archived from the original on 28 August 2023. Retrieved 28 August 2023.
- Lacob, Jace (22 January 2023). "Rachael New Takes A First Go-Round In The Director's Chair". Masterpiece. PBS. Retrieved 6 February 2023.