Death Valley is a crime mystery television series starring Timothy Spall and Gwyneth Keyworth, which was first broadcast on 25 May 2025 on BBC One. In August 2025, it was renewed for a second series, which began on 17 May 2026.
Contents
Premise
Set in Mid Wales (although filmed in the Vale of Glamorgan), the murder mystery series follows the unlikely crime-solving partnership between eccentric national treasure John Chapel, a retired actor and star of hit long-running detective television show Caesar, and socially inept Detective Sergeant Janie Mallowan.
Cast and characters
Main
Timothy Spall as John Chapel
Gwyneth Keyworth as DS/DI Jane "Janie" Mallowan
Steffan Rhodri as DCI Barry Clarke
Alexandria Riley as Helen Baxter
Rithvik Andugula as DC Evan Chaudhry
Production
The six-part first series was written and created by Paul Doolan. Timothy Spall and Gwyneth Keyworth were cast in the lead roles in May 2024. Also in the cast are Steffan Rhodri, Alexandria Riley and Melanie Walters. Guest stars include Kiell Smith-Bynoe, Sian Gibson, Patricia Hodge and Jim Howick.
According to Doolan, detective Janie Mallowan takes her name from Agatha Christie's married name, Mallowan, and from Christie's character Jane Marple.
Filming took place in June 2024 in Penarth, particularly Penarth Conservative Club and Penarth Pier, and in Llantwit Major in the Vale of Glamorgan, including St Illtyd's Church there. Filming on the second series took place in Penarth in 2025. Guests stars on the second series include Jane Horrocks, Mark Lewis Jones, Alexandra Roach, Hammed Animashaun, Roisin Conaty, Asim Chaudhry and Mike Bubbins.
Broadcast
The first series premiered on 25 May 2025 on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
The second series premiered on 17 May 2026 on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
Episodes
Reception
Lucy Mangan of The Guardian declared the first series a quality cosy mystery series, calling it "witty and fun". In The Daily Telegraph Benji Wilson gave the opening episode four stars out of five; "Timothy Spall’s witty sleuth proves a rival for Ludwig". On the other hand, Phil Harrison in the The Independent wrote: "It would drift away on the faintest breeze. There are undoubtedly less pleasant ways to spend a Sunday evening in front of the television. But this is less cosy crime, more comatose crime."
Harrison, writing in the The Guardian, was more supportive of the second series: "The second series of this cheery Welsh cosy crime is as gentle as a pillow – and if it feels dangerously close to a spoof, that’s all part of the fun ... Its body count challenges that of The Sopranos, but in its soothing episodic rhythms and Welsh valley quaintness, it remains as comfortable and predictable as Christmas".