The new season of « Miss Scarlet, Private Detective » has been airing on POLAR+ for a few days now and is a hit with subscribers. But is it really worth spending your summer evenings diving back into Victorian England?
While the summer series lineup is not as rich this year, myCanal subscribers seem to be taking the opportunity to rewatch some fan favorites, according to the Top 10 list of the week, which features The Big Bang Theory and Friends, recently arrived exclusively on Max after years on Netflix. However, a lesser-known police drama, Miss Scarlet Detective, has made its way to the eighth spot. This series, with its fourth season airing exclusively on POLAR+ recently, takes us back to thrilling police investigations in 19th century London with a unique duo. But is it worth discovering this series? Everything you need to know is right here in this article.
What is Miss Scarlet, Private Detective, and who is in the cast? Miss Scarlet has been airing since early 2020 on the specialized channel Alibi in the UK and on PBS in the US, with four seasons of 6 episodes each. Kate Phillips stars as Eliza Scarlet, known for her role as Linda Shelby in Peaky Blinders. Stuart Martin plays Inspector William Wellington, with Ansu Kabia and Cathy Belton rounding out the cast. The series was created by Rachael New, who remains on board as a writer for season 4.
Synopsis of the series: London, 1882. Eliza Scarlet takes over her father’s private detective agency after his sudden death. As the first woman in this profession, she teams up with Inspector William Wellington, an alcoholic, gambler, and womanizer, also known as Duke.
Should you watch Miss Scarlet, Detective? It’s challenging to be a detective in 1800s London, with evidence disappearing and politically protected members of society. When Eliza Scarlet, the daughter of a private detective who dies suddenly, decides to take over his agency instead of finding a wealthy husband, skepticism and sexism of the era quickly rear their heads in various ways. Luckily, she has an ally – sometimes: William Wellington, aka « The Duke, » a seasoned inspector from Scotland Yard who has known the Scarlet father and daughter for ages and tries to assist her in her investigations. Far from being just murder-of-the-week cases, Miss Scarlet’s investigations highlight the complexities and fragility of the dynamic between Scarlet and William, as well as the intelligence and tenacity of the heroine in uncovering the truth. While season 4 sees Scarlet running her own detective agency, the balance between lighter moments and investigations remains intact. Far from being a stereotypical period drama, the social and political commentary of a woman striving for independence in the face of institutional opposition becomes increasingly clever and prescient with each episode. The professional respect dynamic between the gruff William, portrayed excellently by Stuart Martin, and Miss Scarlet continues to evolve and adds to the charm of this underrated series.
What to watch after Miss Scarlet, Detective? Among the period dramas available on myCANAL, we highly recommend the fascinating and darker series The Alienist, featuring a trio of unconventional investigators in a New York grappling with the principles of profiling. Unlike our recommendation, this series only lasted two seasons.
In addition to these series, if you’re looking for more content similar to Miss Scarlet, Detective, you may also enjoy the gripping and suspenseful series Ripper Street, set in the aftermath of the Jack the Ripper murders in Victorian London. The show follows a team of detectives as they investigate crimes in the East End, delving into the social issues and challenges of the time while solving complex cases.
So, if you’re a fan of period dramas with strong female leads and intriguing mysteries, Miss Scarlet, Detective is definitely worth adding to your watchlist. Its blend of historical context, engaging characters, and suspenseful storytelling make it a standout series that deserves more recognition.