Approximate length: 40 episodes of 45 minutes each, though it's a very episodic series so not something you have to watch many episodes of to get up to speed.
Where is it found?: It's a UK TV series that aired 2018-2022 (though there's a new season coming later this year), and is available on BBC iPlayer, on DVD, and probably plenty of other places.
Elevator pitch of what it's about: Frank Hathaway, grumpy ex-cop with a heart of marshmallow, Luella Shakespeare, former hairdresser with a photographic memory, and Sebastian Brudenell, out-of-work actor with a penchant for disguises, solve crimes in modern-day Stratford-upon-Avon. They also encounter a lot of Shakespeare references and get through a lot of snacks.
Content warnings: Nothing beyond the level of non-graphic murder and mild peril you would expect from a daytime cosy detective series.
What do you love about it?: This series is pure light, fluffy fun! If anything the comedy elements can perhaps get a little too silly at times, but great performances by the central cast and some occasional dips into more dramatic and emotional waters really help to anchor it. The detective trio and their relationships are always a delight: Frank and Lu have their grumpy-sunshine dynamic - except when Lu is the grumpy one and Frank's being more of a goofball - while Sebastian brings a touch of theatrical camp and excessive repertoire of Shakespeare quotes to proceedings. There are also a likeable cast of recurring supporting characters, and while the mysteries aren't always the most complex to figure out, it's the character interplay along the way that makes it fun.
What kind of themes would you request for it?: The trio are private investigators, so while murder often enters the picture at some point, their cases cover a wide variety of things their clients can't get or don't want police attention on: missing persons, death threats, sabotage between rival businesses, and when they're particularly bored or strapped for cash smaller-scale or weirder things like alleged ghost activity. Their cases tend to involve stakeouts and hidden cameras, some sneaking around places they're not necessarily supposed to be, a bit of help or hindrance from their contacts in the police, and nearly always an excuse for Sebastian to go undercover in disguise.
![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Shakespeare & Hathaway: Private Investigators (TV)
Date: 2025-04-14 08:51 pm (UTC)Media: TV
Approximate length: 40 episodes of 45 minutes each, though it's a very episodic series so not something you have to watch many episodes of to get up to speed.
Where is it found?: It's a UK TV series that aired 2018-2022 (though there's a new season coming later this year), and is available on BBC iPlayer, on DVD, and probably plenty of other places.
Elevator pitch of what it's about: Frank Hathaway, grumpy ex-cop with a heart of marshmallow, Luella Shakespeare, former hairdresser with a photographic memory, and Sebastian Brudenell, out-of-work actor with a penchant for disguises, solve crimes in modern-day Stratford-upon-Avon. They also encounter a lot of Shakespeare references and get through a lot of snacks.
Content warnings: Nothing beyond the level of non-graphic murder and mild peril you would expect from a daytime cosy detective series.
What do you love about it?: This series is pure light, fluffy fun! If anything the comedy elements can perhaps get a little too silly at times, but great performances by the central cast and some occasional dips into more dramatic and emotional waters really help to anchor it. The detective trio and their relationships are always a delight: Frank and Lu have their grumpy-sunshine dynamic - except when Lu is the grumpy one and Frank's being more of a goofball - while Sebastian brings a touch of theatrical camp and excessive repertoire of Shakespeare quotes to proceedings. There are also a likeable cast of recurring supporting characters, and while the mysteries aren't always the most complex to figure out, it's the character interplay along the way that makes it fun.
What kind of themes would you request for it?: The trio are private investigators, so while murder often enters the picture at some point, their cases cover a wide variety of things their clients can't get or don't want police attention on: missing persons, death threats, sabotage between rival businesses, and when they're particularly bored or strapped for cash smaller-scale or weirder things like alleged ghost activity. Their cases tend to involve stakeouts and hidden cameras, some sneaking around places they're not necessarily supposed to be, a bit of help or hindrance from their contacts in the police, and nearly always an excuse for Sebastian to go undercover in disguise.