Latest news with #PaulDoolan
Telegraph
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
Death Valley, review: Timothy Spall's witty sleuth proves a rival for Ludwig
The warning signs are all there – jaunty pizzicato strings, delightful rural setting, a quirky, cranky detective paired off with a chalk-and-cheese youthful sidekick. There is even a Death in the title, suggesting that Death Valley (BBC One) not only looks a bit like all the other cheerful come-for-the-location, stay-for-the-murders crime dramas on TV (ie. Death in Paradise, Midsomer Murders) but that it is merely the same formula set in Wales. Many great actors play TV detectives in their later years for a phone-it-in gig and a pension. Surely this is Timothy Spall doing the same? Well sort of, but also not at all. Death Valley is undoubtedly another cosy sleuther, one cut from familiar cloth, but it is at least a very good one. Spall plays John Chapel, a retired actor who used to star as a Poirot-style mind-machine on a TV crime drama. When a much-loathed local real estate tycoon is found dead at his desk, the local police, in the form of DS Janie Mallowan (Gwyneth Keyworth), interview the neighbours. There Mallowan chances upon a gone-to-seed Chapel and lo and behold, an unlikely (but in TV land, completely inevitable) crime-solving duo is born. Rather than pretend that any of this is new, Death Valley is sensible enough to acknowledge all of the clichés and work with them. Paul Doolan's (Mammoth, Trollied) script is pin-sharp throughout, poking fun at the genre by using extracts from Caesar, the series in which Chapel starred in his heyday. These shows, as one of the cops on Death Valley even says at one point, are all the same, but there's a reason for that. As the BBC's recent success with Ludwig illustrates, people love a puzzle. So the six episodes of Death Valley stick to a case-of-the-week format, with John and Janie getting better and better at solving them as their relationship evolves. Doolan's script, which is very funny throughout, is the cherry on the icing on the cake (and he seems to love an over-extended metaphor, of which I approve). Youth and age and amateurs and pros and good cops and bad cops – everything has been done (to death) in crime drama. It's unlikely that anyone tuning in to Death Valley will be expecting, or wanting, the wheel to be reinvented. But while it never attempts to tear up the rulebook it still finds space between the lines. The show within a show, Caesar (which also stars the matchless Jim Howick) is funny and judiciously employed. The knowing gags about Netflix true-crime documentaries and how Chapel got down to the last two for Ned Stark in Game of Thrones are much funnier because they're sporadic. Spall can be an acquired taste, but here his moments of peak Spalliness are offset by the casting of Keyworth, who has his measure in every scene. Their two-handers are all beautifully judged and Keyworth is superb throughout (in what deserves to be a breakout role.) Throw in a clever twist at the end and series two is set up nicely. This cosy crime drama could run and run – and for once, that's not a threat.
Daily Record
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Record
BBC's new drama Death Valley features unexpected crime-solving twist with 'an edge'
Death Valley centres around an unlikely crime-solving duo in the Welsh countryside The BBC's upcoming murder mystery series, Death Valley, is set to debut tonight (Sunday, May 25). Penned by Paul Doolan, the six-part whodunnit revolves around quirky national treasure, John Chapel (Timothy Spall), a retired actor and star of the popular fictional TV detective show Caesar. When John's neighbour is shockingly murdered, he joins forces with charming detective sergeant, Janie Mallowan (Gwyneth Keyworth) to crack the case. This unlikely pair of crime solvers tackle gripping murders each week, against the backdrop of various picturesque Welsh locations. "When John and Janie are not arguing about a case, they're inevitably up in each other's personal business," the synopsis continues, reports Belfast Live. "Despite their differences, they soon realise they are the closest thing each other has to a best friend and unwittingly help one another move on from the past." The regular cast also features Steffan Rhodri as Janie's superior, DCI Barry Clarke, Melanie Walters as Yvonne, Janie's "no boundaries" mother, and Remy Beasley as Rhiannon, an old foe from Janie's past. Completing the line-up is Mike Bubbins as the overly friendly desk sergeant, Tony, and Rithvik Andugula as DC Evan Chaudhry, the "eager to please" junior police officer. Guest stars include Kiell Smith-Bynoe, Sian Gibson, Patricia Hodge, Jim Howick and Karl Johnson. At a recent press event for the series, executive producer Madeline Addy was enthusiastic about Paul Doolan's distinctive scripts. "[I got involved] quite early doors. My boss, Josh Cole, was a big champion of the project and sent it to me, and I read it and absolutely loved it," she said. "Paul is a very talented and very well respected comedy writer so it was really exciting to us that he wanted to create this really original comedy-drama with an edge to it. "The fact that it feels it's genre blending, a mixing pot of different genres. Paul's got this classic whodunnit with a twist to it, and there's high-stakes drama and along with that, it's like an inter-generational comedy as well. So, there's quite a lot going on." Madeline concluded: "I think it's wholly original." The producer went on to reveal that over 70 cast members appear across the six episodes. Timothy, the lead actor, shared insights into his journey taking on a more comedic role, along with the hurdles of portraying two conflicting characters – the actor and his most famous persona. "It's only hard because the expectation of making people laugh. Humour is a big taste thing, some people like certain aspects of it and some people don't," he said. "The challenge is to try and play a character, however eccentric or supposedly funny they are." Timothy added: "It's nice to be able to play with that, someone who is a detective, and mess around with certain aspects of actors' [personalities], themselves, their skills and their conceits and over inflated versions of themselves. "It was nice to be able to play a character who was somewhat heightened." Death Valley will premiere on BBC One and BB C One Wales at 8.15pm on Sunday, May 25
BBC News
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Death Valley: Timothy Spall pairs crime with comedy in BBC drama
When the former star of a police crime show moves into town, the local real-life detective can hardly believe her begins the plot of the BBC's new comedy-crime drama Death Valley, filmed entirely in Wales, in which Timothy Spall and Gwyneth Keyworth pair up to portray an unlikely crime solving has become a popular destination for film and TV production in recent years, but often stands in for other places. The action in Death Valley, however, is firmly located in Wales - albeit in a fictional town - and embraces the country's culture and landscape."It's lovely to hear Welsh being spoken... It's kind of a celebration of Wales as well," said Spall. Spall portrays John Chapel, the favourite TV character of Det Sgt Janie Mallowen, played by Sgt Mallowen idolises Chapel after his TV show Caesar helped her through one of the darkest times in her life. But she begins to discover that Chapel the man is not quite the same as Chapel the show's writer, Paul Doolan, admitted to being a "bit of a murder-mystery obsessive"."I liked the idea of a TV actor who played a detective, and a fan of them, and the awkward relationship, but I couldn't really get beyond what else was funny about that."Then I thought 'what if they solve murders?', which is all really meta, and then started plotting it based around that." In the show, Spall's character first comes across Det Sgt Mallowen when his neighbour is murdered and she arrives to investigate."All relationships, you need that conflict, you need there to be stakes and you need a power dynamic," said Doolan."Having him being famous and her being a fan, you only need to know that and straight away you get what all those dynamics are."The physical differences, the generational differences, he's English, she's Welsh – there's just piling as many opposites in together and have them be spiky to each other." Apart from one 1980s role in a BBC Play for Today as a "rural police sergeant who had to do all the work", Spall, star of Mr Turner, Harry Potter and the iconic Barry in Auf Wiedersehen Pet, has never been in a "whodunnit", and admits to not having watched much in that vein."But when they're great, people love them," Spall said on set in Cardiff."What I love about this is we're doing all that. There are moments in it where you're aware of it being a whodunnit, but it subverts itself by the eccentricity of the duo and the circumstances they find themselves in."Paul's been meticulous in how everything's planned out. So really, if you don't like comedy, or you don't get it, you've got the [crime], and if you like comedy and don't get the crime, you've got that as well." Being an actor playing an actor gave Spall "some opportunities to illustrate that pretentious side of it and if I'm taking the mick out of anybody it's myself", he was full of praise for his co-star Keyworth, of Misfits and Hidden Fame, whom he first encountered when she starred in a West End production of To Kill a Mockingbird alongside Spall's son, Rafe."I thought, bloody hell, she's good. Then a couple of years later here we are in this odd-ball double act," he character, Det Sgt Mallowen, is "very practical", he said, adding: "She's procedural, she's a policewoman and has to go through all sorts of things."They are quite candid to the point of rudeness and offensive with each other but they always somehow are reliant on each other. They'll never admit that they have affection for each other." Behind the humour, there are darker sides to the show. Det Sgt Mallowen lost her best friend to suicide aged 18 and the drama portrays how she deals with that from Aberystwyth, thinks plenty of people can relate to using escapist TV to cope with tough times - as her character did with Caesar."It's like her hero has come home to roost, but then she has to deal with the reality of [Chapel] is not actually Caesar, and in fact can be a little bit annoying."They've both been really lonely for a long time and there's a level of kindred spirits that meet. "Then ensues a lot of comedy because they have very different approaches to life." 'Lots of pretty Wales' The supporting cast include Gavin and Stacey's Steffan Rhodri, Sian Gibson from Peter Kay's Car Share, Alexandria Riley of Silo and The Pembrokeshire Murders, as well as additional writing from comedian and actor Sian Harries."Every year we've got these brilliant Welsh actors turning up," said Spall. "It's lovely to hear Welsh being spoken. It's lovely to have the whole lilt, that wonderful sound. It's kind of a celebration of Wales as well."Both Spall and Keyworth were fulsome about the wonders of the Welsh countryside, with Spall noting the convenience and speed of transferring from the BBC studios and urban locations such as Insole Court in Cardiff to more rural ones, such as the Bannau Brycheiniog National Park, for filming."We see lots of pretty Wales [in the show]," said Keyworth."There's an episode with a walking group we get to see some really, really picturesque locations that just make you go, Wales is so beautiful. There's a waterfall that's particularly stunning."The seaside town of Penarth in the Vale of Glamorgan also gets a shout out. Keyworth adds with a laugh: "I love a pier, coming from Aberystwyth myself." Death Valley is broadcast on BBC One and BBC iPlayer starting on Sunday 25 May at 20:15 BST.
Rhyl Journal
24-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Rhyl Journal
BBC new show Death Valley: Full cast list and how to watch
The show, written by Paul Doolan, follows the young ambitious detective, DS Janie Mallowan who is desperate to solve big cases and to progress her career. While investigating the death by apparent suicide of local property developer, Carwyn Rees, she meets retired actor John Chapel, who played her TV detective idol, Inspector Charles Caesar. The reclusive and eccentric John believes Carwyn's death was actually murder, and when forensics prove his theory right, Janie quietly asks him to help with the case. But, the reclusive John is reluctant to help, but together the pair begin to work together to solve and an intriguing mystery involving an environmental activist, a grieving widow and a bitter business rival, according to the BBC. Together, John and Janie begin a crime-solving partnership and a friendship. Creator of Death Valley, Paul Doolan, is best known for his work on hit TV show Trollied which he created and wrote. Doolan has also worked on the likes of Cuckoo, Hospital People, Bloods, Mammoth, Top Coppers and Cardinal Burns. Award winning actor Timothy Spall has appeared in many popular shows and films including Wicked Little Letters, The Sixth Commandment, Harry Potter, The King's Speech, Mr Turner and Enchanted. Gwyneth Keyworth has appeared in shows including Defending The Guilty, Wasted, Craith, The Great Outdoors, Closer to the Moon and Black Mirror. Recommended Reading EastEnders fans 'gutted' as last remaining BBC soap family member to exit Colson Smith shares unseen final Corrie moments as fans 'broken' amid exit Coronation Street star is still mistaken for iconic co-star 17 years on Death Valley is available to watch on BBC One and BBC iPlayer starting on Sunday, May 25 at 8.15pm. The series is made up of six episodes which will be shown weekly at the same time of 8.15pm on Sunday evenings.
Glasgow Times
24-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Glasgow Times
BBC new show Death Valley: Full cast list and how to watch
The show, written by Paul Doolan, follows the young ambitious detective, DS Janie Mallowan who is desperate to solve big cases and to progress her career. While investigating the death by apparent suicide of local property developer, Carwyn Rees, she meets retired actor John Chapel, who played her TV detective idol, Inspector Charles Caesar. The reclusive and eccentric John believes Carwyn's death was actually murder, and when forensics prove his theory right, Janie quietly asks him to help with the case. But, the reclusive John is reluctant to help, but together the pair begin to work together to solve and an intriguing mystery involving an environmental activist, a grieving widow and a bitter business rival, according to the BBC. Together, John and Janie begin a crime-solving partnership and a friendship. Creator of Death Valley, Paul Doolan, is best known for his work on hit TV show Trollied which he created and wrote. Doolan has also worked on the likes of Cuckoo, Hospital People, Bloods, Mammoth, Top Coppers and Cardinal Burns. Award winning actor Timothy Spall has appeared in many popular shows and films including Wicked Little Letters, The Sixth Commandment, Harry Potter, The King's Speech, Mr Turner and Enchanted. Gwyneth Keyworth has appeared in shows including Defending The Guilty, Wasted, Craith, The Great Outdoors, Closer to the Moon and Black Mirror. Death Valley full cast list: John Chapel: Timothy Spall DS Janie Mallowan: Gwyneth Keyworth DCI Barry Clarke: Steffan Rhodri Helen Baxter: Alexandria Riley DC Evan Chaudhry: Rithvik Andugula Danielle Rees: Amy Griffiths Ceri Richardson: Oliver Ryan Joyce Pugh: Marilyn Cutts Alys Evans: Bettrys Jones Mel Davies: Zadeiah Campbell-Davies Ava: Eryn Kelleher Recommended Reading How to watch Death Valley Death Valley is available to watch on BBC One and BBC iPlayer starting on Sunday, May 25 at 8.15pm. The series is made up of six episodes which will be shown weekly at the same time of 8.15pm on Sunday evenings.
