Death Valley – premieres tonight on ABC with a Welsh murder mystery that pairs a detective with a retired actor famous for playing one.
The new series opens with a clean whodunit hook, using the gap between television crime-solving and real police work as part of the fun.
Death Valley opens as a cosy crime drama with a neat twist: one investigator is a real detective, while the other is a retired actor famous for playing one. That contrast gives the premiere room for humour while still setting up a proper murder case.
The Welsh setting and the showbiz element give the series a slightly different flavour from a straight police procedural. Chapel’s fame as a fictional detective makes his involvement amusing, but the murder itself still needs real answers.
What to expect in Death Valley
Welsh DS Janie Mallowan is called to investigate the apparent suicide of property developer Carwyn Rees.
Retired actor John Chapel, best known for playing Inspector Charles Caesar, becomes involved and suspects there is more to the death.
When forensics prove Chapel right, the case shifts from tragedy to murder and an unlikely investigative partnership begins.
The premiere’s appeal is the unlikely partnership, with Chapel’s television-detective instincts colliding with Janie’s real casework.
When to watch Death Valley
Death Valley airs tonight, Friday 11 September, at 8.30pm on ABC and ABC iview.
For more free-to-air coverage, visit TV Central’s ABC news and highlights. You can also catch up through ABC iview.
