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Daily Mail
30-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
ROLAND WHITE reviews last night's TV: It's split opinion, but this delightful whodunnit deserves a second series
Death Valley (BBC1) The final episode of the first series of Death Valley opened at a school reunion. 'It's so hard juggling the aromatherapy with being a mumfluencer,' moaned Rhiannon Hopkins to her former classmate. I can't have been the only viewer hoping Rhiannon would come to a sticky end. Perhaps not ending up as the actual corpse, but definitely getting locked away for a very long time. Mumfluencer indeed. Just the word should carry a five-year term. In the end, it was a mechanic called Dean who was battered to death in the boiler room with a spanner, which at least was another Cluedo weapon ticked off for pathologist Helen Baxter. 'God,' she sighed. 'I'd love a lead pipe killing — that's the hard one.' Death Valley has divided opinion. To call it quirky would be an understatement. Interviewing Dean's wife, DS Janie Mallowan (Gwyneth Keyworth) complained: 'It's quite hard to get what you're saying — maybe you could try speaking between sobs.' If you take your whodunnits very seriously, this is not for you. It's basically a delightfully gentle comedy with a bit of violent death thrown in. But it's cleverly written, with plenty of well-judged sad bits as contrast. And the characters have depth and back stories. The star turn is Timothy Spall. He plays retired actor John Chapel, who is best known for playing TV detective Charles Caesar. In the first episode, he helped Janie solve the murder of a property developer, and she's been his sidekick ever since. They bicker like an old married couple. If Chapel were 30 years younger, this would end in a romance that would probably be revealed in a tear-jerking Christmas special. As it is, one of the mysteries about widower Chapel is his love life. There is obviously somebody, but who? This was revealed right at the end. I won't ruin the surprise for catch-up viewers, but the result was more bickering between Chapel and Janie (named Jane, by the way, after Miss Marple and Mallowan after Agatha Christie's second husband). A lot of loose ends were tied up in last night's episode. Janie finally made it up with her boss, DCI Clarke, a worryguts whose main fear is that he's not up to the job. Played by Steffan Rhodri, he is just one of an excellent supporting cast. He told her that she's been promoted to inspector, and Chapel had been recruited as an official consultant. Oh, and the mysterious suicide of Janie's best friend, Sian, a constant theme through the series, was finally cleared up. You know what this means, don't you? The decks are now clear for a second series. Perhaps we might even get that Christmas special. Pathologist Helen might even get her perfect corpse — coshed by somebody called Colonel Mustard with a candlestick in the conservatory.
Times
22-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Times
Seven shows to watch after Death Valley
T he cosy, quirky crime drama Death Valley has been a new hit for the BBC in 2025, bringing in an overnight audience of 2.9 million for its opening episode in May and quickly growing a large and loyal fanbase. The murder mystery, written and created by Paul Doolan, is set and filmed in Wales, and achieved the largest audience for a BBC scripted comedy debut for more than five years. Starring Timothy Spall as a curmudgeonly retired actor who teams up with an eager young detective (Gwyneth Keyworth), the series follows the fortunes of the unlikely crimefighting pair as complex whodunnit capers unfold.
Scotsman
22-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Scotsman
Death Valley cast: who are the actors in BBC show? Prior roles
Death Valley continues this weekend - and it boasts quite the recognisable cast 📺 Sign up to our Arts and Culture newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Death Valley will continue with another episode this weekend. Timothy Spall headlines the cast - but there are other familiar faces. Here is where you know the actors in the BBC show from. A brand new episode of Death Valley is on the horizon to help round-out your weekend. It follows a pair of mismatched crime fighters in Wales. Timothy Spall leads the cast of the six-part series, however he is not the only recognisable face. The show also includes actors who have appeared in Game of Thrones and the Harry Potter movies. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad But where exactly do you know the stars of Death Valley from? Here's all you need to know: What to expect from Death Valley tonight? Gwyneth Keyworth and Timothy Spall star in BBC1's new crime comedy-drama Death Valley (Picture: BBC/BBC Studios/Simon Ridgway) | BBC/BBC Studios/Simon Ridgway The show will continue with its fifth episode on BBC One tonight (June 22). The preview, via Radio Times, reads: 'A murder mystery event turns into a real crime scene when a famous Welsh actor and TV detective is found stabbed to death at the dinner table. 'Janie's investigation reveals a feud between siblings warring over property and their family's legacy. John rekindles his fledgling romance with the deceased's sister, but gets a hard lesson in the dangers of living in the past.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad What time is Death Valley on TV today? The latest episode of the mystery series will be broadcast on the BBC later today (June 22). It is set to start at 8.15pm and will run for approximately 45 minutes, finishing at 9pm. If you don't want to wait for the rest of the season, the full Death Valley boxset is already available on iPlayer. All six episodes are available to watch right now. Who is in the cast of Death Valley? The show features plenty of familiar faces and recognisable names beyond just Timothy Spall, of course. The BBC has confirmed the main and guest actors: Main cast Timothy Spall as John Chapel Gwyneth Keyworth as DS Janie Mallowan Steffan Rhodri as DCI Barry Clarke Alexandria Riley as Baxter Rithvik Andugula as DC Evan Chaudhry Guest actors Melanie Walters as Yvonne Patricia Hodge as Helena Remy Beasley as Rhiannon Mike Bubbins as Tony Sian Gibson as Wendy Amy Morgan as Sioned Steve Spiers as Lloyd Eryn Kelleher as Ava Nathan Foad as Owen Where do you know the cast of Death Valley? Like his character in the show, Timothy Spall is a national treasure and needs no introduction. However, just in case you may remember him from his award winning role as artist J.M.W Turner in the film Mr Turner - and he was also Peter Pettigrew in the Harry Potter films. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Spall originally shot to fame as Barry Spencer Taylor in Auf Wiedersehen, Pet. He was also part of the cast for The Sixth Commandment in 2023. The other lead actor in the show, Gwyneth Keyworth, may not have quite the same length of career as Timothy Spall but she has had some memorable roles. She played Clea in the fifth season of Game of Thrones, as well as appearing in shows like Defending the Guilty and Misfits. Gavin and Stacey fans will undoubtedly recognise Steffan Rhodri from his iconic turn as Dave Coaches in the legendary sitcom. He also appeared in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 1. Meanwhile, Alexandria Riley is best known for her role as DI Ella Richards in The Pembrokeshire Murders - for which she was nominated for a BAFTA Cymru award. She also had a role in season two of The End of the F***ing World and plays Camille Sims in the Apple TV show Silo - alongside Rebecca Ferguson. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad
Scotsman
15-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Scotsman
Who is in the cast of Death Valley? Full list
Death Valley features stars from Harry Potter, Game of Thrones and Gavin and Stacey 👀 Sign up to our Arts and Culture newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Timothy Spall leads the cast of this BBC mystery series. Death Valley also features other familiar faces. But who exactly is in the cast of the six-part show? Death Valley will continue this weekend with a brand new episode on the BBC. The six-part mystery series set in Wales follows a mismatched duo of crime fighters. Timothy Spall takes on the starring role as a national treasure turned amateur detective. However he is not the only familiar face in the cast. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad But who else do you recognise in Death Valley - and where do you know them from? Here's all you need to know: What time is Death Valley on TV today? Timothy Spall (L) and Gwyneth Keyworth (R) in Death Valley | BBC The latest episode of the mystery series will be broadcast on the BBC later today (June 15). It is set to start at 8.15pm and will run for approximately 45 minutes, finishing at 9pm. If you don't want to wait for the rest of the season, the full Death Valley boxset is already available on iPlayer. All six episodes are available to watch right now. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The preview for the latest episode, via Radio Times, reads: 'Janie investigates the murder of an am-dram theatre director. She enlists John's help, and he takes matters into his own hands and joins the cast of the theatre group's next play. 'He finds himself unexpectedly reminded of why he fell in love with acting in the first place, while a downtrodden suspect standing up for themselves inspires Janie to confront her own demons from the past.' Who is in the cast of Death Valley? The show features plenty of familiar faces and recognisable names beyond just Timothy Spall, of course. The BBC has confirmed the main and guest actors: Main cast Timothy Spall as John Chapel Gwyneth Keyworth as DS Janie Mallowan Steffan Rhodri as DCI Barry Clarke Alexandria Riley as Baxter Rithvik Andugula as DC Evan Chaudhry Guest actors Melanie Walters as Yvonne Patricia Hodge as Helena Remy Beasley as Rhiannon Mike Bubbins as Tony Sian Gibson as Wendy Amy Morgan as Sioned Steve Spiers as Lloyd Eryn Kelleher as Ava Nathan Foad as Owen Where do you know the cast of Death Valley? Like his character in the show, Timothy Spall is a national treasure and needs no introduction. However, just in case you may remember him from his award winning role as artist J.M.W Turner in the film Mr Turner - and he was also Peter Pettigrew in the Harry Potter films. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Spall originally shot to fame as Barry Spencer Taylor in Auf Wiedersehen, Pet. He was also part of the cast for The Sixth Commandment in 2023. The other lead actor in the show, Gwyneth Keyworth, may not have quite the same length of career as Timothy Spall but she has had some memorable roles. She played Clea in the fifth season of Game of Thrones, as well as appearing in shows like Defending the Guilty and Misfits. Gavin and Stacey fans will undoubtedly recognise Steffan Rhodri from his iconic turn as Dave Coaches in the legendary sitcom. He also appeared in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 1. Meanwhile, Alexandria Riley is best known for her role as DI Ella Richards in The Pembrokeshire Murders - for which she was nominated for a BAFTA Cymru award. She also had a role in season two of The End of the F***ing World and plays Camille Sims in the Apple TV show Silo - alongside Rebecca Ferguson. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad
Daily Record
09-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Record
BBC Death Valley viewers 'switch off' in droves with one major complaint
BBC Death Valley was the BBC's most viewed launch show for a scripted comedy in five years. Death Valley viewers were not happy with the third episode of the BBC show as many took to social media to claim they were going to 'switch off'. The police drama, set in Wales, stars an unlikely duo - Timothy Spall as retired actor John Chapel and Gwyneth Keyworth as DS Janie Mallowan - as the force are tasked with looking into a series of deaths, including one of a best man at a wedding. The series explores the tension between John's past fame following his starring role as a fictional TV detective and Janie's ambition, as they navigate the challenges of their partnership while investigating the seemingly unrelated cases. Viewers found a lot of talking points about the latest instalment, but not all of them good as they took to X, formerly Twitter, in their droves to have their say. One fan, as writes the Express, had a simple statement to make, saying: 'What on earth is this s***? #DeathValley No wonder everyone is talking about it... It's utter drivel and woke toboot. Refund the BBC if this is the best they can s**t out."(sic) Another joined in, adding: "Heard it was bad, but jeezo it's horrendously bad. The lead lady is soooo irritating and the script is chronically unfunny. A new low for BBC Sunday night viewing, absolutely horrendous." One said: "Frustration peaked for some, prompting them to turn off their TVs, as one viewer confessed: "Caught up with #DeathValley on BBC1. I love stuff staring Timothy Spall but just had to turn off after a few minutes due to the awful co-star detective played by Gwyneth Keyworth shouting all the time. She must be one of the most annoying TV characters ever." As the pile on continued, one said: ""I'm on the third episode of "Death Valley" - I really gave it a try, but it really doesn't get on me. I can't stand the main characters, they are cringe... in general I really like those shows, but this I'll skip and that Ludwig will return soon." And one added: "#DeathValley on BBC1 is one of the worst programmes I've ever sat through!". However, not all viewers were so passionate with their criticism. One said: ""I know a lot of people seem to enjoy slagging off #DeathValley, and I admit that when I saw the initial trailer, I thought it looked poor. "However, having binged the series the other day, I can quash my original reticence & say that I loved it. Daft, funny, cosy & Welsh." While another backed the show, adding: "Enjoying #DeathValley too. It's Sunday night viewing and I remember 'By the Sword Divided' and 'The Pallisers' so this is quite fun." Despite some fans appearing disgruntled, the show has proved a hit for the BBC's Sunday night schedule and the first episode got 2.9million viewers on May 25, making it the most viewed launch for a new BBC scripted comedy in the past five years. You can catch up on Death Valley on BBC iPlayer Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'.
