Wednesday Trivia Question

Where did the Duke go on MISS SCARLET & THE DUKE?

MISS SCARLET & THE DUKE premiered on MASTERPIECE in January 2021 and ran for four seasons (more on that in a moment). It starred Kate Phillips and Stuart Martin in the title roles. Miss Scarlet is Eliza Scarlet, an ambitious Victorian Era private detective, and the Duke is police detective inspector William “Duke” Wellington of the Metropolitan Police.

As she struggles to make a name for herself, Eliza makes allies and earns respect from the men in charge. And she and the Duke seem to be growing closer. In fact, a romance appeared to be the natural course of action. So when William confessed his love to Miss Scarlet, he also announced plans to leave. Which he does. And he did not come back.

In fact, the fifth series (which we hope will air sometime next year) is called simply MISS SCARLET. No Duke. So whether the actor left or the character was just written out, it appears as though Miss Scarlet and the Duke are not destined to be together.

The question remains: what happened to William Wellington? Where did the Duke go on MISS SCARLET & THE DUKE?

Monday Montage

What’s happening, what’s on and what’s interesting this week …

From impressive engineering to global supremacy, the years of Queen Victoria’s reign are often seen as a high point in British history. Examine Victorian Britain from the perspective of different regions throughout the nation as historian Dr. Onyeka Nubia hosts WALKING VICTORIAN ENGLAND – Tuesday night at 7 on the Explorer Channel.

Lesley Manville (Magpie Murders) and Mark Strong (Anna Karenina) will star in a West End revival of Oedipus this fall at the Wyndham Theatre.

Follow artist Victoria Milstein as she creates North Carolina’s first monument dedicated to the women and the children of the Holocaust in Greensboro. Don’t miss SHE WOULDN’T TAKE OFF HER BOOTS – Thursday at 10pm on PBS NC.

Monday Montage

What’s happening, what’s on and what’s interesting this week …

Experience the story of the southern mountain’s musical birth and evolution through on A GREAT AMERICAN TAPESTRY – tonight at 8 on the North Carolina Channel.

SHERLOCK showrunner Steven Moffat has issued a public plea for Benedict Cumberbatch (The Child In Time) and Martin Freeman (The Old Curiosity Shop) to return for a season five. Yes, please!

Join historian Dr. Onyeka Nubia as he examines Victorian Britain from the perspective of different regions throughout the nation. Don’t miss WALKING VICTORIAN ENGLAND – Tuesday at 8pm on the Explorer Channel.

Where Do I Know That Actor?

Fans of smart British drama know that Sunday nights belong to MASTERPIECE MYSTERY. We’ve covered MAGPIE MURDERS and ANNIKA, the newest series to grace the brand, so let’s have a look at MISS SCARLET AND THE DUKE. The second season is three episodes in and keen-eyed viewers may have spied some familiar faces amongst the cast. Let see…

Kate Phillips stars as plucky Victorian-era detective Eliza Scarlet. She has also been seen as Tillie Zeigler in My Mother And Other Strangers and as Jane Seymour in Wolf Hall.

Stuart Martin also stars as William “The Duke” Wellington, a gruff Scotland Yard DI who begrudgingly aids Eliza. Martin will best be known to Jamestown viewers as middle Sharrow brother Silas.

Cathy Belton plays Ivy, servant to the Scarlet household. She appeared as Mrs. Hartright in The Woman in White.

Ian Pirie is Wellington’s new boss, Chief Superintendent Fergus Munro. He was recently seen as Sandy in series two of Guilt.

Ansu Kabia plays Moses, a criminal turned associate of Eliza’s. He was James Richards in The Long Song and Eddie Knight in World On Fire.

Lastly, Simon Ludders portrays mortuary clerk Mr. Potts. He appeared in series one of Broadchurch as Trevor Smith.

Got a face you can’t place from one of the plethora of programs PBS NC airs from the UK? Email me at sparkymac@pbsnc.org and I’ll try to help out.

Sounds Familiar

“It is a talent to love. I lacked it, and I know very well what love makes of men and women. It is subjection. I was never willingly subject to any man. Men have been subject to me. “ – Contessa Maria Alcharisi (Barbara Hershey), DANIEL DERONDA

Hey, It’s Photo Friday!

My office bookshelf has lots of neat toys and souvenirs and mementos from my time with public broadcasting. Of course, there are plenty of books as well. Some are books on which a series was based. Others are novels based on a favorite program. Some are books about the show itself. Here you’ll see a book based on the hit MASTERPIECE series VICTORIA. Written by historian Helen Rappaport (with a foreword by Daisy Goodwin), VICTORIA: THE HEART AND MIND OF A YOUNG QUEEN was published in 2017.

Wednesday Trivia Question

Who starred as Uncle Silas in The Dark Angel on MYSTERY?

Sounds Familiar

“It is not honest food. Everything’s covered in sauces – who knows what’s underneath. Give me a wholesome plate of boiled mutton and turnips.” – Duchess of Buccleuch (Diana Rigg), referring to French Cuisine, VICTORIA

Monday Montage

What’s happening, what’s on and what’s interesting this week …

Tuesday night, the Victorian Slum House is open for business. Part reality competition, part time travel adventure, watch as participants tackle the challenges of life in the Victorian era. The journey kicks off with the 1860s – Tuesday night at 8 on UNC-TV.

Are mobile phones ruining the theatre? Andrew Scott (Moriarty, Sherlock) blames the middle-aged and not Millennials.

Nature gets back into the spy cam business with a two-part look at some spellbinding cetaceans. Tune in for part one of Dolphins: Spy in the Pod – Wednesday at 8pm on UNC-TV.

Could Downton Abbey be coming to a city near you? Quite possibly. A new touring exhibition launches in Singapore this summer and hits the United States next year.

Sherlock First Look

I’m always eagerly awaiting any sign – any word – of new Sherlock episodes. So when the news came out earlier in the year that there would be a stand alone special set in the Victorian era to air sometime in late 2015 (perhaps), I was quite obviously pleased. Still, I try not to get over excited about this kind of thing since you don’t want to set expectations too high and you’re never quite sure when it will air … BUT OH MY STARS NOW THERE’S A PROMO!!

Seriously, this just looks like so much fun I can hardly wait. But wait we must. In the meantime, let’s just enjoy Holmes and Watson as only Cumberbatch and Freeman can deliver…