Review by C.J. Bunce
Some series are so lighthearted and well done that you might just overlook the strength of the writing, quality of the actors, and how much they stand apart from the other entries in their genre. One you don’t want to take for granted is this year’s big win in the British mystery department, Death Valley, now streaming on Prime Video via BritBox. Gwyneth Keyworth stars as Detective Sergeant Janie Mallowan, a young woman with a layered past filled with joy and a sorrow she tries to keep hidden. She’s a better than average, competent police officer in Wales, using humor to deflect the gruesome nature of crime scenes, when she encounters a former famous TV detective who is now a bit of a recluse, played by genre favorite Timothy Spall in what could be a career defining performance. The first two episodes looked promising (reviewed here), but four more episodes later and Death Valley has firmly established itself as one of the best mystery shows on television.
As with all great mystery shows, the supporting characters add to the fun. Chief on this show is Steffan Rhodri (another former Harry Potter franchise actor) as DCI Barry Clarke, who succeeds with his superiors by way of Janie’s ability to get the job done as his subordinate. Janie and DC Evan Chaudry (Rithvik Andugula) don’t hold back on sharing painful truths with DCI Clarke–always worth some laughs. Janie and medical examiner Helen (Alexandria Riley) have great rapport in their introductory scenes in each episode (a Wales version of the Law & Order introduction banter). Recurring elements like this, along with a peppy opening theme song and swift cut to the opening credits are hallmarks of a series that knows what it’s doing.
One high point of the season follows a dinner party mystery night led by socialite Helena Hart, played by the great Patricia Hodge, who most recently starred as Mrs. Pumphrey on All Creatures Great and Small. When the guests find a man dead at the head of the table, Helena calls her old bosom pal John Chapel to help, which pits Chapel and Janie back together for another mystery to solve together. It’s the classic Clue/Cluedo trope again, and these characters combine for a fresh take, especially here where one guest refuses to believe the actual murder isn’t just part of the mystery game. As Janie tries to suss out if there was any romance between the two in years past, she’s also trying to get a promotion by solving another case. Credit show writer Paul Doolan for knowing his characters and keeping them exciting.
Over the course of the six episodes Spall upgrades his curmudgeonly retiree to eager and interested elder adviser, a move that causes Janie and him to work better together. Will they become friends for a second season? More likely their friendly barbs are just the thing that keeps the fun and energy working, especially when Chapel begins a romance with Janie’s mother, played by Melanie Walters. Spall and Keyworth frequently mirror each other in their ability to showcase quizzical looks they just can’t contain among all the odd types they encounter in their sleuthing.
No actress explodes with personality on the screen and owns every scene like Keyworth (my earlier review compared her to iZombie and Ghosts star Rose McIver and that goes double the more you watch her). A smart move by costume designer Hayley Nebauer (Doctor Who, Thir: The Dark World, Fast & Furious 6) is outfitting Keyworth in offbeat fashions, especially her wardrobe of short jackets. Not since Buffy the vampire slayer’s endless closet of jackets has a costume designer appeared to have such fun clothing their lead.
The Wales setting has a modern twist on a town like that in Father Brown, which starred another Harry Potter franchise actor, Mark Williams. Keyworth’s dialogue frequently allows her to share with the audience that pretty warble of her native Welsh language as she speaks with her family and close friends (it would be fun to watch her and Scottish actress Kelly Mcdonald in a scene together one day with their very different but similarly melodic accents).
Look for the clever inclusion of pop culture references (including those that may fly over the heads of American viewers) and episodes that get better with each new one. Keyworth’s ability to show the less filtered side of her character is endearing and will win over viewers instantly. And only after the first two episodes does the script reveal the past that informs the nuanced aspects of her character. She is a very modern woman with issues viewers young and old can relate to.
Catch up with our reviews of other quality British TV series, beginning with our Top 10: Life on Mars/Ashes to Ashes, Zen, Why Didn’t They Ask Evans?, Mr. Selfridge, Guilt, The Hour, The Gentlemen, Black Doves, and Shetland. You could stay pretty busy with our full list of top British TV recommendations, including Van Der Valk, the first season of Sherlock, (Death Valley fits in nicely here), Dept. Q, Bodkin, The Bletchley Circle, Grace, Hinterland, Glitch, Mystery Road, Culprits, The Day of the Jackal, Professor T, Supacell, and after you’ve seen all of those give your attention to Marchlands, Lightfields, State of Play, I, Jack Wright, Protection, After the Flood, Traces, Picnic at Hanging Rock, Ordeal by Innocence, Unforgotten, The Bay, Wild Bill, Quirke, Requiem, The Gloaming, The One, The Tower, Collateral, Roadkill, Stay Close, The Salisbury Poisonings, and A Confession.
Other British series across genres that are worth checking out (a few still to be reviewed here) include police procedurals Luther and Case Histories, fun romps like Monarch of the Glen, Para Handy, Cranford, Viva Blackpool, and As Time Goes By, and “cozy mysteries” Rosemary and Thyme, Father Brown, Hetty Wainthropp, and Death in Paradise. One of the best of all British productions is the reboot of All Creatures Great and Small, which is in our British Top 10 (and the original is good, too). Of course there’s always Doctor Who for your sci-fi fix (and spin-offs Torchwood and Class), The Watch for your fantasy fix, Truth Seekers and Sea of Souls for your supernatural fix, and Spaced for more sci-fi fun, and we really should add House, MD, for Brit lead Hugh Laurie’s one-of-a-kind performance. (We’ve also reviewed but don’t heartily recommend so much Dublin Murders, The ABC Murders, The Pale Horse, The Silence, The Five, The Missing, Thirteen, or Broadchurch, as well as No Offence, which could have merited a review for its first season but, like Sherlock, its later seasons were a disappointment).
You may recognize Keyworth from her standout roles in episodes of two of our favorite mystery series, Hinterland and Case Histories. She’s also appeared in Midsomer Murders, Game of Thrones, and Alex Rider.
For fans of Death in Paradise, Monk, iZombie, Rosemary & Thyme, Case Histories, Only Murders in the Building, and all mysteries cozy and otherwise, Death Valley has it all with quick-witted dialogue and actors you can tell love to perform. Catch all six first-season episodes now on BritBox via Prime Video. The series has not yet been renewed for a second season, although it has some of the highest ratings locally of any scripted series in five years so it seems likely.
