Miss Scarlet and The Duke are out; Miss Scarlet is in.
PBS has announced major changes to the period piece as it renews the series for Season 5. Stuart Martin, who plays the titular William “The Duke” Wellington, is leaving the series, and from this point on, it will be titled Miss Scarlet. Kate Phillips will remain in her leading role of Eliza Scarlet.
Miss Scarlet and The Duke follows Eliza Scarlet, Victorian London’s first-ever female detective, who spars (and sparks) with Scotland Yard Detective Inspector William Wellington, aka The Duke. Eliza is a headstrong woman, and William is her childhood friend turned professional competition.
Season 4 of the series premiered on January 7 on PBS. In it, Eliza took over the business Nash & Sons. Meanwhile, her will-they-won’t-they dynamic with the Duke came to a head. By Season 4 Episode 4, their relationship had changed forever. The Season 4 finale aired on February 11.
Martin said in a statement that it’s time for Miss Scarlet to have new adventures.
“It has been such an incredible joy to bring Duke to life through [series creator] Rachael [New]’s beautiful, brilliant writing and to get to play him for the past four years,” he said on Thursday, February 29, per Deadline. “But it felt like the time was right for Scarlet to explore new stories and challenges for now as the show continues to grow and evolve. I will miss working with my amazing partner in crime, Kate, and the rest of our brilliant family and team, but I’m excited to continue following Eliza and her escapades as a huge fan and newly enrolled Scarleteer!”
“I will miss working with my pal Stu every day and know Eliza will miss her Duke, but I think the best is yet to come for her,” Phillips said. “I can’t wait for fans to see what we have in store for Season 5.”
“This new chapter in Eliza’s story is going to bring our audience more of what they’ve come to love about this series — mystery, humor, potential romance, and most of all, Kate Phillips’ terrific performance as Miss Scarlet,” said Masterpiece Executive Producer Susanne Simpson.
Martin’s departure is further detailed in a podcast on the PBS Masterpiece website.
Miss Scarlet Season 5 production has already begun in Belgrade, Serbia. Additional casting and a release date will be announced at a later time.
The Miss Scarlet & The Duke cast also includes Cathy Belton (Philomena) as Ivy, a housekeeper and Eliza’s mother figure, and Felix Scott (The Crown, Grantchester) as Patrick Nash, another private eye in Eliza’s sphere.
Miss Scarlet, Season 5 Premiere, TBA, PBS
This story originally appeared on TV Insider
