Just three days before her wedding, Luella Shakespeare hires Frank Hathaway to investigate her fiance, Clive, for cheating. He wasn’t cheating, and the wedding takes place as planned. Clive, however, was a con man and shortly after he and Luella are married, he’s stabbed to death. Luella is arrested and Frank must now prove she’s innocent. He does, with considerable help from Luella herself. Luella uses the funds she had invested in Clive’s business to bail out Frank’s faltering detective agency. With no choice, he reluctantly agrees to take her on as a partner.
Faithful viewers of the Brit Box hit, Shakespeare and Hathaway, know how that partnership has worked out. The series is now in its fifth season with 50 episodes. Anchored by two veteran British actors – Jo Joyner plays Luella and Mark Benton, Frank – this mystery falls into the “cozy” genre. There are crimes, but little violence, murders, but little blood. While Lu and Frank are usually hired for a job, there are also times when they accidentally find themselves in the midst of trouble.
The third person in the agency’s crime-fighting team is Sebastian (Patrick Walshe McBride), an actor who trained at the Royal Academy of Arts and, when he isn’t going on auditions, uses his skills to aid an investigation. (He’s particularly useful in undercover operations.) The fourth regular character is Detective Sergeant Joseph Keeler, played by Tomos Eames, who routinely shows up at crime scenes. A mediocre detective, Keeler disparages Frank’s time with the police, but often finds himself bested by the agency’s duo.
While Lu and Frank run the agency together, they are polar opposites and often clash. Lu is neat and organized, while Frank is messy and disorganized. As a former police officer, Frank often follows rules, while Lu had no problem coloring outside the lines. Their relationship comes to a head at the end of the fourth season when Lu leaves to start her own agency. Season five’s first episode finds Sebastian, unable to leave either Lu or Frank, secretly dividing his time to work for both. Shakespeare and Hathaway are soon united and work together to solve crimes in the otherwise bucolic Stratford-on-Avon.
Softer mysteries, whether books, TV shows, or films, are called cozies for a reason. Fans may enjoy helping to solve a crime, but turn away from series where the blood and gore literally drips from the screen. Shakespeare and Hathaway won’t have anyone looking away when that gun or knife is pulled out.
Of course, murder-lite is not the only reason to watch this Brit Box series. Talented and seasoned actors, Joyner and Benton, are fun to watch. Fans of other British series will recognize them from a variety of programs in supporting roles. Not only do they take center stage here, but the rapport they develop as they manage their oftentimes difficult relationship while dealing with clients, who may have committed the murder they want investigated, holds our interest. And there’s plenty of humor, especially from McBride as Sebastian.
With the cold weather coming, pop the corn and settle in. There are five seasons of this delightful series to watch.
Photo Credit: BBC
Top: Joy Joyner, Patrick Walshe McBride, and Mark Benton
