The Duke Decamps

When, in this year’s Season 4 of the period crime drama Miss Scarlet and the Duke, Victorian police detective William “Duke” Wellington (played by Stuart Martin) was seconded to the New York Police Department for a stint, it was obvious that some change was in the works. But I didn’t expect this news. From a press release:

Masterpiece on PBS has announced that Kate Phillips (Wolf Hall, The Crown) will return as Miss Eliza Scarlet for a fifth season of investigations, and the series will be retitled, Miss Scarlet. Stuart Martin, who played William “The Duke” Wellington in the previous four seasons will not return for Season 5.

Martin notes, “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. 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!”

Miss Scarlet will welcome back many cast members from previous seasons, including Evan McCabe as Detective [Oliver] Fitzroy, Cathy Belton as Ivy [Woods], Felix Scott as Patrick Nash, Paul Bazely as Clarence [Honeychurch], Simon Ludders as Mr. Potts, and Tim Chipping as Detective Phelps.

In a new Masterpiece Studio podcast episode, Stuart Martin, along with writers Rachael New and Ben Edwards, talks through these changes, and what lies ahead for this British-American production.