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 byRachael New
Starring
Country of origin
  • United Kingdom
  • United States
Original languageEnglish
No. of series3
No. of episodes18 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producers
  • Todd Berger
  • Patrick Irwin
  • Jin Ishimoto
  • Patty Ishimoto
  • Harvey Myman
  • Rachael New
  • Declan O'Dwyer
ProducerAaron Farrell
Production locations
  • Ireland (series 1)[1]
  • Serbia (series 2– )[2][3]
Running time60 minutes
Production companies
Release
Original network
Picture format1080i
Audio format5.1 surround sound
Original release31 March 2020 (2020-03-31) –
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 continue 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 old friend William Wellington, a gruff detective inspector of Scotland Yard, to help her acquire cases, though she often resorts to stealing case files from his office.

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 through the police academy. As a result, William looked up to Henry as a mentor and father figure. William once kissed Eliza following her mother'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 loans her money for her agency as an investment. Rupert is the bachelor (and secretly gay) son of Mrs Parker, who owns Eliza's house, 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 when working on cases. To many people's surprise, however, Eliza is actually clever and feisty, which works in her favour. William and Eliza work on several cases together, though she is uncredited, causing disputes between them. Eliza employs the services of a known criminal, Moses, much to William's annoyance. 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 associate Main
Cathy Belton Ivy Woods Housekeeper Main
Simon Ludders Mr Potts Coroner Regular Guest
Kevin Doyle Henry Scarlet Private detective Regular Does not appear
Andrew Gower Rupert Parker Businessman Regular Does not appear
Matthew Malone Clarence Honeychurch Police constable Regular Does not appear
Danny Midwinter Frank Jenkins Police detective sergeant Regular Does not appear
Nick Dunning Stirling Police superintendent Regular Does not appear
Richard Evans Herr Hildegard Funeral director Regular Does not appear
Amy McAllister Tilly Hildegard Regular Does not appear
Ian Pirie Monro Police superintendent Does not appear Regular
Evan McCabe Oliver Fitzroy Police detective Does not appear Regular
Tim Chipping Phelps Police detective sergeant Does not appear Regular
Jessie Cave Harriet "Hattie" Parker Lady's companion Does not appear Regular Does not appear
Felix Scott Patrick Nash Private detective Does not appear Recurring Regular
Brian Bovell Solomon Shopkeeper Does not appear Guest Regular
Sophie Robertson Arabella Acaster Restaurant owner Does not appear Regular
Helen Norton Mrs Parker Landlady Recurring Does not appear
Oliver Chris Basil Sinclaire Journalist Does not appear Recurring Guest
Laura Rollins Clementine Sex worker Does not appear 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

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 prostitute and friend of Moses', occasionally hired by Eliza for various tasks

Episodes

Series 1 (2020)
No.TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air date [lower-alpha 1]
1"Inheritance"Declan O'DwyerRachael New31 March 2020 (2020-03-31)
After the death of her private detective father, Eliza Scarlet tries to take on a case for herself while claiming that her father is still alive, but the investigation is complicated when she realises that she has been manipulated to help a man gain custody of his wife's inheritance. With the aid of her father's old protégé, Detective William "Duke" Wellington, and a con artist named Moses, Eliza is able to find a loophole that leads to the man being arrested and his wife allowed to go free.
2"The Woman in Red"Declan O'DwyerRachael New7 April 2020 (2020-04-07)
Eliza's landlady tells her that her father allowed the lease on their ancestral home to lapse, and that she will have to vacate if the rent is not paid. She offers her assistance to William for a fee and is rebuffed, so her next case is seemingly impossible: the wife of a man hires her to prove his innocence after he pled guilty for being found at a murder scene with a bloodied knife in his hand. She again meets Moses, who says he wishes to hire her to find a snuff box that the dead man was holding for him in his safe.
3"Deeds Not Words"Declan O'DwyerRachael New14 April 2020 (2020-04-14)
Duke hires Eliza to go undercover and infiltrate a women's suffrage group campaigning for the vote, where she finds the leader is willing to go to any means to justify the ends.
4"Memento Mori"Declan O'DwyerBen Edwards21 April 2020 (2020-04-21)
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'DwyerBen Edwards28 April 2020 (2020-04-28)
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'DwyerRachael New5 May 2020 (2020-05-05)
Eliza discovers that her father's death may have been murder. With time running out, she has to solve a perplexing puzzle. Moses tells her that William is not the man she thinks he is.

Series 2 (2022)
No.
overall		No. in
series		TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air date [lower-alpha 1]
71"Pandora's Box"Steve HughesRachael New14 June 2022 (2022-06-14)
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.
82"The Black Witch Moth"Steve HughesRachael New21 June 2022 (2022-06-21)
Eliza is hired by an insurance company to investigate the disappearance of a rare sketch by Charles Darwin, but the case becomes more complicated when it turns out the insurance company that hired her doesn't exist.
93"A Pauper's Grave"Steve HughesRachael New28 June 2022 (2022-06-28)
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.
104"Angel of Inferno"Ivan ZivkovicRachael New5 July 2022 (2022-07-05)
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.
115"Quarter to Midnight"Ivan ZivkovicBen Edwards12 July 2022 (2022-07-12)
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.
126"The Proposal"Ivan ZivkovicBen Edwards, Rachael New19 July 2022 (2022-07-19)
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 byOriginal air date [lower-alpha 2]
131"The Vanishing"Steve HughesUnknown8 January 2023 (2023-01-08)
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.
142"Arabella[lower-alpha 3]"Steve HughesUnknown15 January 2023 (2023-01-15)
William and Eliza investigate a series of thefts which happened at a local restaurant. Eliza bumps into someone from her past, causing her to suspect their involvement in the crimes.
153"Hotel St Marc"Rachael New[16]Unknown22 January 2023 (2023-01-22)
Eliza is on the trail of a notorious conman and tracks him down to a hotel in a remote part of France. She believes she has finally caught Scotland Yard’s most wanted man, but she’s not the only hotel guest who wants to claim the reward.
164"Bloodline"Ivan ZivkovicUnknown29 January 2023 (2023-01-29)
Detective Fitzroy sees one of his colleagues plant evidence on a suspect. With Duke away, Fitzroy turns to Eliza and hires her to look into a case of police corruption.
175"The Heir"Steve HughesDan Muirden5 February 2023 (2023-02-05)
Eliza is on the verge of earning life-changing money when she offers to help the heir to an unclaimed fortune. It’s a race against time to claim the money and Eliza will need Duke’s help, but a revelation about his personal life makes working together impossible.
186"The Jewel of the North"Steve HughesUnknown12 February 2023 (2023-02-12)
Eliza receives a bomb in the mail. She teams up with Duke, Moses and her old enemy Patrick Nash to find out who is behind the deadly delivery.

Notes
  1. Series 1 and 2 were first broadcast in the UK on Alibi. These are the airdates shown here.[4][12]
  2. These airdates reflect each episode's first terrestrial broadcast date, which will be 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 are being 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]
  3. Some sources list the episode title as "Arabella's".[14][15]

Production

Although set in London, the first series was shot in Dublin, Ireland.[1][5] The street where Eliza Scarlet lives is Mount Pleasant Square, Ranelagh, Dublin 6. 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 the CBS Westland Row in Cumberland Street. Although part of the skyline is CGI, including the train tunnel arches which are not open in reality, there is a train station, Pearse Station behind the school with St Andrew's Church alongside.

As of series 2, production moved to Belgrade, Serbia,[2] where it remains as of series 4.[3]

References
  1. Clarke, Stewart (3 December 2019). "PBS Masterpiece Picks Up A+E's Period Drama 'Miss Scarlet and the Duke'". Variety.
  2. "'Miss Scarlet and The Duke' begins filming Season 2 in Belgrade". British Period Dramas. 10 August 2021. Retrieved 18 December 2022.
  3. Rice, Lynette (29 November 2022). "'Miss Scarlet And The Duke' Renewed For Fourth Season By Masterpiece". Deadline. Retrieved 18 December 2022.
  4. Miss Scarlet and The Duke at IMDb
  5. "Irish-made Miss Scarlet and The Duke lands on Alibi". RTÉ.ie. 26 March 2020.
  6. "Miss Scarlet and The Duke". Andrew Gower. 6 July 2019. Retrieved 23 August 2020.
  7. "Miss Scarlet & The Duke: Episode 1: Inheritance". Masterpiece. Retrieved 18 January 2021.
  8. "'MASTERPIECE Announces Second Season of Miss Scarlet and The Duke". Masterpiece. 29 March 2021.
  9. "MASTERPIECE Announces Miss Scarlet and The Duke Season 4". Masterpiece. PBS. 29 November 2022. Retrieved 6 February 2023.
  10. Rice, Lynette (28 July 2022). "'Miss Scarlet & The Duke' Renewed For Season 3 At PBS Masterpiece". Deadline. Retrieved 30 July 2022.
  11. "Interview: Miss Scarlet and The Duke's Creator Rachael New". Masterpiece. Retrieved 21 November 2022.
  12. "Miss Scarlet and The Duke – Listings". Next Episode. Retrieved 2 June 2022.
  13. "Get Ready for Miss Scarlet and The Duke Season 3". PBS. Retrieved 6 December 2022.
  14. "Miss Scarlet & The Duke | Season 3 | Episode 2: Arabella's". PBS Passport. PBS. Retrieved 6 December 2022.
  15. "Miss Scarlet and the Duke, Season 3". Prime Video. Amazon. Retrieved 6 December 2022.
  16. Lacob, Jace (22 January 2023). "Rachael New Takes A First Go-Round In The Director's Chair". Masterpiece. PBS. Retrieved 6 February 2023.
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