Brilliant Welsh-set detective drama that’s “as cosy as crime drama gets” climbs UK streaming chart

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The BBC detective series Death Valley is quickly becoming popular on iPlayer after its recent return. The second season of the acclaimed show, filmed in Wales, premiered over the weekend, bringing back Timothy Spall as John Chapel and Gwyneth Keyworth as Janie Mallowan.

The show has been a hit since it returned, and it’s currently ranked eighth among the streamer’s most popular series.

Death Valley centers around Chapel, a former actor, and Mallowan, a police officer, who team up as detectives. In the second season, Mallowan gets a promotion to Detective Inspector, but she’s distracted by the fact that Chapel is now dating her mother.

Despite her reservations, she has to bring Chapel on board as a consultant for the department. This forces Chapel to return to acting, albeit reluctantly, on the set of a large-scale Welsh fantasy television show, when they’re both assigned to investigate a murder.

The show features Tom Spall, Sarah Keyworth, Steffan Rhodri, Alexandria Riley, and Rithvik Andugula. Season two also includes guest appearances by Jane Horrocks, Hammed Animashaun, Alexandra Roach, Roisin Conaty, and Mark Lewis Jones.

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In a review of the new season, Digital Spy praised the show for continuing to successfully combine comedy, emotional depth, and intrigue, creating something truly captivating for viewers.

Although the story follows a familiar pattern for this type of show, the ending has a surprising depth, demonstrating that creator Paul Doolan continues to offer original ideas.

Okay, so The Guardian basically said this show is super cozy for a crime drama – like, really comfortable to watch. They pointed out a lot of people die, actually comparing it to The Sopranos in that way! But despite all the deaths, it’s got this really relaxing, predictable vibe, almost like watching a Christmas special every episode. It’s set in a pretty quaint Welsh valley, which adds to that comfy feeling, I guess.

I was reading a review in Radio Times, and they called it seriously cozy viewing – the kind of thing you just want to wrap up in. They especially praised Timothy Spall’s acting, saying he kept it from becoming something you’d just have on in the background – he really made it stand out.

Death Valley seasons 1-2 are streaming now on BBC iPlayer. The show broadcasts on BBC One.

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2026-05-21 15:50