Miss Scarlet and The Duke In The Media: Getting A Royal Clue

[libgirl2]

1 hour ago, Ms Lark said:

While I'll miss the Duke, I'm cool with Miss Scarlett without him. She'll do just fine. Too bad she can't switch to Ms. in her era! You know she would.😉

Same with me. I will miss him but I like watching a competent female detective. Give me some good storylines. Lets get Nash back too. 

Its funny, I was thinking last week that he might be leaving and they should just call it Miss Scarlet if he was not going to be a regular. 

[KittenPokerCheater]

No Duke, no me. 

[libgirl2]

Some people have been saying this "will they, won't they" was detracting from the mysteries. 

[Ms Lark]

I wish they'd bring back Moses Valentine! He was a cool character. We learned his name and I dont think we ever saw him again.

[Souris]

I was afraid of that. I’m out. I never got around to watching the last episode. I realized I just don’t like Eliza enough to keep watching with just her. Plus it annoys me when shows change the basic premise. The relationship between Eliza and William was a big part of the show for me (it was in the title, FFS!). Episodes without William and the dynamic fell flat for me.

[Johannah]

I'm with those that will miss the Duke.  Immensely.  I'll check out the new version, but with less enthusiasm and anticipation than before.  Sigh.  I'll at least give it a chance.

[chaifan]

I'm ok with it just being Miss Scarlett.  I liked William, but I felt the will they/won't they was getting tiresome, and I really didn't see a plausible way for them to get together.  I'd love for the writers to reveal what they had planned as far as that goes.  I am somewhat surprised - I always assumed they had actors sign multiple  year contracts so they could plan out story arcs like this.

 

[tv echo]

I'm sad about this news. If the show had started out originally as just Miss Scarlet, I'd be more okay with the change. But they spent four years getting me invested in this relationship between Eliza and William, just to end it on what still feels like a cliffhanger.

Here's what was officially posted by PBS (including podcast interview with Stuart Martin) - "new romance"...

MASTERPIECE Announces Miss Scarlet Season 5 and Casting News
February 29, 2024
https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/masterpiece/specialfeatures/masterpiece-announces-miss-scarlet-season-5-and-casting-news/ 

Quote

[Boston, MA, Feb. 29, 2024] 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 Rachael’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 Fitzroy, Cathy Belton as Ivy, Felix Scott as Patrick Nash, Paul Bazely as Clarence, Simon Ludders as Mr. Potts, and Tim Chipping as Detective Phelps.

Kate Phillips says, “I will miss working with my pal Stu every day, and know Eliza will miss her Duke, but I think the best is yet to come for her. I can’t wait for fans to see what we have in store for Season 5.”

Series creator Rachael New says, “We will miss our Duke but there is so much in store for Eliza – new crimes, new friends, new foes and new romance. We will be keeping her very busy!”

Miss Scarlet Limited’s Patty Lenahan Ishimoto adds, “Duke’s departure brings a poignant shift to the series. One that allows for further creative evolution and for Eliza to face new challenges, forging ahead in a narrative landscape filled with suspense, crime-solving, and unexpected (platonic and romantic) relationships.”

MASTERPIECE Executive Producer Susanne Simpson says, “This new chapter in Eliza’s story is going to bring our audience more of what they’ve come to love about this series – mystery, humor, potential romance and most of all, Kate Phillips’ terrific performance as Miss Scarlet.”

MASTERPIECE is presented on PBS by GBH Boston. Filming has begun on Season 5. Additional casting will be announced in due course.

Stuart Martin Says Goodbye to Miss Scarlet and The Duke
February 29, 2024
https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/masterpiece/specialfeatures/stuart-martin-says-goodbye-to-miss-scarlet-and-the-duke/ 

Quote

How he came to the decision to leave

“It was very tough. It was very, very tough,” Martin confessed during the podcast episode. But for Martin, no matter how hard the decision was, he believes that it was the right one for the story. 

“My feeling was that there’s something really interesting in him leaving,” he explained, discussing how William’s decision to leave brought the relationship between he and Eliza to an ultimate head. “You get to put it all on the line, really, and we get to see [Eliza and Duke] get to a moment that they probably wouldn’t get to if you were going to continue. Or certainly you’d have to pull them back from it.”
*  *  *
“I remember… my last scene was in the morgue, with lovely Simon [Ludders], he’s just brilliant. I love him. It was so lovely. Everyone came in. I’m a terrible, terrible, nervous speech maker. I get anxiety about it. I get a hot head. My ears go bright red. I hate it. For some reason I thought, I’m going to say some words because I couldn’t not just say thank you to the amazing crew and everyone out there. I don’t quite know what I said. It wasn’t a speech, but I think I said thank you. They’re such a wonderful family.” 
*  *  *
To those fans, he said, “I would just thank them for that support and that love that they’ve given the show and that they’ve given Duke.” And, he added, “Hopefully, hopefully they don’t hate me.”

Podcast link:
https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/masterpiece/podcasts/masterpiece-studio/stuart-martin-says-goodbye-miss-scarlet-and-the-duke-season-4-masterpiece-studio/ 

ETA:
I checked Stuart Martin's IMDB page to see if there is some new project listed. But the only recent project is Rebel Moon - Part One: A Child of Fire.
 

Edited March 1 by tv echo

[tv echo]

Good discussion (go to link to read rest of article)...

Miss Scarlet without The Duke? GBH Drama Discusses Stuart Martin's Departure
By Amanda-Rae Prescott and Jackie Bruleigh   February 29, 2024
https://www.wgbh.org/tv-shows/drama/2024-02-29/miss-scarlet-without-the-duke-gbh-drama-discusses-stuart-martins-departure 

Quote

A: I’m also glad William wasn’t killed off. I’d argue Grantchester is a great example of male leads departing a MASTERPIECE series. James Norton left and now Tom Brittney is leaving too, both for the same reasons as now Stuart Martin is probably leaving: being offered roles in much bigger international productions. In fact, the first signs of a major shift in the series was last season when Ansu Kabia didn’t return as Moses. According to IMDB he’s going to be in Disney’s Snow White live-action film and the Amy Winehouse biopic coming up, which are definitely “too good to pass up” opportunities for a rising actor. It’s clear that MASTERPIECE series are often launchpads for actors to get noticed by the Big Fish in the industry. In that context, it’s less surprising to see that Stuart Martin is also in Netflix’s recent sci-fi film Rebel Moon and now he’s also leaving Miss Scarlet and The Duke to further his career.

J: It also seems like there’s some real character development reasons for this one, which I can respect. I’ll be honest (and we’ve talked about this before so it won’t be a surprise to you, Amanda-Rae): I’ve had major reservations about Duke as a romantic interest for Eliza for the entire run of the show. I think they have amazing chemistry, but it’s always felt to me like the two characters aren’t super compatible long-term. They both love their jobs, and they can’t both be in those jobs if they’re going to be together. Kind of a dealbreaker! So it was nice to see that the team behind the show also shared those concerns and wanted to give Eliza that runway to keep developing on her own.

Edited March 1 by tv echo

[libgirl2]

1 hour ago, tv echo said:

Good discussion (go to link to read rest of article)...

Miss Scarlet without The Duke? GBH Drama Discusses Stuart Martin's Departure
By Amanda-Rae Prescott and Jackie Bruleigh   February 29, 2024
https://www.wgbh.org/tv-shows/drama/2024-02-29/miss-scarlet-without-the-duke-gbh-drama-discusses-stuart-martins-departure 

Thanks for sharing. Yes, the Duke and Eliza have great chemistry, but he wants from her what she can't give him, he wants a traditional wife, head of the household, mother to his children. That just isn't her. She wants to be able to do what she is doing and if she married him, that would never happen. They would both be miserable. 

[kirinan]

1 hour ago, libgirl2 said:

Thanks for sharing. Yes, the Duke and Eliza have great chemistry, but he wants from her what she can't give him, he wants a traditional wife, head of the household, mother to his children. That just isn't her. She wants to be able to do what she is doing and if she married him, that would never happen. They would both be miserable. 

I'm in complete agreement with this. As much as I liked the Duke, I knew there was no easy way to reconcile their lives so they could be together. In my case, I'm not giving up on the show because of the loss of the relationship; I thought Eliza was good with Nash, too. I just don't like the character of Eliza enough to watch a show where she carries even more of the story than she does now. The dumb things she does that endanger herself and other people, the selfish way she doesn't seem to care how what she does affects other people, even those she loves—I don't see how I can sit through another season without a main character I like to root for, which was the function the Duke fulfilled for me. Moses and Ivy and Fitzroy could, but they're not on screen enough (if at all, in Moses' case) to offset Eliza for me.

It probably doesn't help that I'm so-so on mystery shows in the first place. I'll watch them occasionally, but for any show, I'm in it for the characters, not the plots. 

Edited March 1 by kirinan

[libgirl2]

2 hours ago, kirinan said:

I'm in complete agreement with this. As much as I liked the Duke, I knew there was no easy way to reconcile their lives so they could be together. In my case, I'm not giving up on the show because of the loss of the relationship; I thought Eliza was good with Nash, too. I just don't like the character of Eliza enough to watch a show where she carries even more of the story than she does now. The dumb things she does that endanger herself and other people, the selfish way she doesn't seem to care how what she does affects other people, even those she loves—I don't see how I can sit through another season without a main character I like to root for, which was the function the Duke fulfilled for me. Moses and Ivy and Fitzroy could, but they're not on screen enough (if at all, in Moses' case) to offset Eliza for me.

It probably doesn't help that I'm so-so on mystery shows in the first place. I'll watch them occasionally, but for any show, I'm in it for the characters, not the plots. 

Maybe some of those situations were so the Duke could "rescue" her? 

[bluestocking]

I wonder what they had in mind for the two when they first launched this? Both of them working at Nash's agency?  With Ivy watching their kids?  It's hard to believe that Martin leaving when and how he did is what they planned all along. 

[Magnumfangirl]

 

Quote

It's hard to believe that Martin leaving when and how he did is what they planned all along. 

It's impossible to believe.  The entire premise of the show was the potential romance between them. The mysteries were always secondary.  Something must have happened behind the scenes.  Whatever, I'm out.  The show is dull without William.  

 

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Edited March 2 by Magnumfangirl

[magdalene]

https://deadline.com/2024/02/miss-scarlet-and-the-duke-will-continue-without-duke-masterpiece-1235841918/

I will probably keep watching. I hope they will bring Nash back. I did like him.

[Scatterbrained]

It seems like this show has trouble keeping men around!  

[tv echo]

The Very Best Eliza and William Moments from Miss Scarlet and the Duke
AMANDA     MARCH 1, 2024
https://fangirlish.com/2024/03/01/the-very-best-eliza-and-william-moments-from-miss-scarlet-and-the-duke/
 

[libgirl2]

12 hours ago, magdalene said:

https://deadline.com/2024/02/miss-scarlet-and-the-duke-will-continue-without-duke-masterpiece-1235841918/

I will probably keep watching. I hope they will bring Nash back. I did like him.

Nash will be back. 

[tv echo]

18 hours ago, bluestocking said:

I wonder what they had in mind for the two when they first launched this? Both of them working at Nash's agency?  With Ivy watching their kids?  It's hard to believe that Martin leaving when and how he did is what they planned all along. 

I'm also curious as to their original gameplan. Did they have one for a show titled Miss Scarlet and the Duke and that teased their romance for four seasons? Or was this relationship set up to fail from the start? If Stuart Martin had stayed for Season 5, did they have a plan for how to reconcile these two very different characters in a believable way?

Edited March 2 by tv echo

[Orcinus orca]

I somehow think that Stuart Martin's departure was unexpected.  Why name a series after a character that was destined to leave?  Unless they somehow thought they could replace him with another actor.  

[Johannah]

Yeah, even if they claim otherwise, no way I believe they named the show after 2 characters planning to write one out.

I sincerely hope Nash doesn't become a love interest.  He can stay in jail if that's the case.  I'm not crazy about him, but as a foil for Lizzie, he's okay.

[magdalene]

Can't they recast the duke like they do in soaps? Don't get hung up on actors in roles. And I say this as someone who has done it myself.

Nash is a good substitute for me personally because I like both the looks of the actor and his vibe with the leading lady.

https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/masterpiece/specialfeatures/masterpiece-announces-miss-scarlet-season-5-and-casting-news/#:~:text=Miss Scarlet will welcome back,Tim Chipping as Detective Phelps.

So who is the new romance going to be with?

ETA to me it seems obvious that the departure is the actors wishes, that it wasn't planned, and that they are now trying to make lemonade out of the lemons the actor handed them.

Edited March 3 by magdalene

[libgirl2]

On 3/2/2024 at 7:07 PM, magdalene said:

Can't they recast the duke like they do in soaps? Don't get hung up on actors in roles. And I say this as someone who has done it myself.

Nash is a good substitute for me personally because I like both the looks of the actor and his vibe with the leading lady.

https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/masterpiece/specialfeatures/masterpiece-announces-miss-scarlet-season-5-and-casting-news/#:~:text=Miss Scarlet will welcome back,Tim Chipping as Detective Phelps.

So who is the new romance going to be with?

ETA to me it seems obvious that the departure is the actors wishes, that it wasn't planned, and that they are now trying to make lemonade out of the lemons the actor handed them.

My co-worker watches the show and prefers Nash as well. 

I agree, if he chose to leave, I can't blame the creators/writers of the show to work with what they got. 

[12catcrazy]

Maybe I'm in the minority in being glad that The Duke is out.  I found the would they/won't they to be tiresome and I couldn't imagine how even more tiresome it would be if they wound up together.  

Personally, I prefer her with Nash.  He "gets" her and appreciates who she is and isn't trying to turn her into another housefrau.   If they are thinking of eventually pairing her up with somebody, maybe give her a choice of suitors and some of the romantic tension can come from which one she'd choose in the end.  

There was a tv show about twenty years ago called "Caroline In The City".  At the start of the show, Caroline had a hunky boyfriend who checked all of the boxes most women want.  She also had a male assistant who was snarky, decent-looking but not "hunky", and kind of a pain in her ass.    By the time the show ended, the original boyfriend wound up not being the paragon he seemed to be and Caroline wound up with the assistant.  Of course there was some interesting reconfiguring of the characters and their stories but it was done in an organic way and it was nice that the guy who was least likely wound up with the girl (and deservedly so) at the end.   

[tv echo]

YouTube version of Stuart Martin interview (podcast link previously posted above)...

MASTERPIECE Studio Podcast | Miss Scarlet and The Duke, Season 4: Stuart Martin Says Goodbye
Masterpiece PBS   Mar 5, 2024

[tv echo]

'Miss Scarlet' Without the Duke Abandons the Fundamental Premise of the Show
BY LACY BAUGHER FOR PBS ON MARCH 5TH, 2024
https://tellyvisions.org/article/can-miss-scarlet-survive-without-duke 

Quote

I probably speak for many longtime Miss Scarlet fans when I say that everything about this news felt like a punch in the gut and, quite frankly, a betrayal of everything we were promised when we originally signed on to watch this show. Martin's departure is upsetting for so many reasons, but a big one is that it feels like a bait and switch. We're losing a central character whose emotional journey we were invested in and a vital piece of the primary reason we were told to watch Miss Scarlet & The Duke in the first place. Whether you want William and Eliza together romantically or not, the show was always predicated on and grounded in their relationship, and to pretend otherwise is to deny the original premise behind its very existence.
*  *  *
... And, honestly, the official description of Season 1 is blunt about what’s happening: “Eliza and The Duke strike up a mismatched, fiery relationship that will crackle and smolder with sexual tension as they team up to solve crime in the murkiest depths of 1880’s London.”

So let’s say it as plainly as possible: No one planned to tune in to this new program simply because it promised a crime drama in period dress. The series’ hook, apparent from its first marketing materials, was this unique relationship at the show’s center. The real story of Miss Scarlet and the Duke has always been just that: Miss Scarlet and the Duke. 
*  *  *
From the beginning, Miss Scarlet has been much more interested in character dynamics and emotional arcs that occasionally intersect with the cases Eliza is solving. Its mysteries are usually perfectly serviceable if generally unremarkable, and the “crime” aspect of this particular crime drama has always taken a back seat to the relationship at its center. And that’s a big part of what made this show feel so special and what helped it set it apart from the dozen other procedural mysteries on PBS. 
*  *  *
... It finally felt as though, after four seasons of spinning its proverbial wheels in terms of its central relationship, Season 4 was a deliberate turning point for the two of them. And many viewers were rightfully looking forward to seeing what a version of Miss Scarlet that fully embraced the romance at its center might have looked like. Maybe things wouldn't have worked out for Eliza and William. Perhaps it would have led to a genuinely happily ever after for them. Either way, it would have made for fantastic television, thanks mainly to the years of work that have gone into these characters and this relationship. And now, we'll never know which is the worst thing. 

Edited March 6 by tv echo

[libgirl2]

21 hours ago, 12catcrazy said:

Maybe I'm in the minority in being glad that The Duke is out.  I found the would they/won't they to be tiresome and I couldn't imagine how even more tiresome it would be if they wound up together.  

Personally, I prefer her with Nash.  He "gets" her and appreciates who she is and isn't trying to turn her into another housefrau.   If they are thinking of eventually pairing her up with somebody, maybe give her a choice of suitors and some of the romantic tension can come from which one she'd choose in the end.  

There was a tv show about twenty years ago called "Caroline In The City".  At the start of the show, Caroline had a hunky boyfriend who checked all of the boxes most women want.  She also had a male assistant who was snarky, decent-looking but not "hunky", and kind of a pain in her ass.    By the time the show ended, the original boyfriend wound up not being the paragon he seemed to be and Caroline wound up with the assistant.  Of course there was some interesting reconfiguring of the characters and their stories but it was done in an organic way and it was nice that the guy who was least likely wound up with the girl (and deservedly so) at the end.   

I remember that show! I always preferred her with the assistant! 

[12catcrazy]

2 hours ago, tv echo said:

'Miss Scarlet' Without the Duke Abandons the Fundamental Premise of the Show
BY LACY BAUGHER FOR PBS ON MARCH 5TH, 2024
https://tellyvisions.org/article/can-miss-scarlet-survive-without-duke 

I'm beginning to think that there is a large audience of PBS British Drama viewers who like to think themselves above watching soap operas or reality TV crap like The Real Housewives of Bayonne but will more than happily tune in to soap operas as long as they are disguised as something else.   Grantchester isn't supposed to be about a minister and cop solving crimes together -seems that a chunk of it's  viewers supposedly REALLY want all the soap stuff (ministers having sex with gorgeous young women, married or not.  The cop cheating on his wife, the Gay minister, blah, blah, blah); just like apparently a segment of it's views will not tune into to Miss Scarlet if the hot, dark, brooding cop is out of the picture because they don't want crimes - they want romance!  Lacy Baugher wants a bodice ripper and not a detective show.  I'm a viewer who wants the detective show and roots for a woman who, although she can be a self-centered pain the butt,  is also great at solving crimes and trying to make her way in a world where women were mostly relegated to being wives or spinsters looking after their parents or other people's kids.  

Poor Lacy feels "cheated", well, Portofino Hotel will be back soon enough, plenty of "sexual tension" there.   And there's always Bravo and the networks.  

[pezgirl7]

4 hours ago, 12catcrazy said:

Lacy Baugher wants a bodice ripper and not a detective show.  I'm a viewer who wants the detective show and roots for a woman who, although she can be a self-centered pain the butt,  is also great at solving crimes and trying to make her way in a world where women were mostly relegated to being wives or spinsters looking after their parents or other people's kids.

Just because she, and many of us, were invested in Eliza and William's relationship doesn't mean that we want the show to be a "bodice ripper" or a "soap opera". It's fine if you tune in because you are solely invested in the investigation aspect, but like Lacy said, "the show was always predicated on and grounded in their relationship, and to pretend otherwise is to deny the original premise behind its very existence." To minimize the disappointment of those who feel let down by 4 seasons of a relationship buildup, by saying we should just tune in to some crappy reality show on Bravo instead, is just dismissive and disrespectful.

Edited March 6 by pezgirl7

[Orcinus orca]

I don't believe Lucy's article indicated she was advocating for a "bodice ripper" at all.  And she was dead on when she said: "The overarching cases of the week have consistently been Miss Scarlet’s weakest elements. Sure, the show has done a frequently remarkable job finding ways to ground its weekly stories in specific and unique female experiences – a welcome shift from many shows of its ilk! – but it’s never been that compelling as a straight mystery series."

Eliza is a clever girl but without supporting characters she is really not that compelling.  Her relationship with William was a joy to watch in the way they used each other to solve cases.  I was not invested in the will they/won't they aspect, I just like how they worked together.  I don't believe that makes me a "soap opera" aficionado.

[libgirl2]

20 minutes ago, Orcinus orca said:

Eliza is a clever girl but without supporting characters she is really not that compelling.  Her relationship with William was a joy to watch in the way they used each other to solve cases.  I was not invested in the will they/won't they aspect, I just like how they worked together.  I don't believe that makes me a "soap opera" aficionado.

I felt that they never worked together as equals as she does with Nash. Yes, I do believe William loved her but not enough to accept that she is just as good or even better than some of the men who work for him. 

Now I'm not saying if William stayed I would have been disappointed, of course not, but I'm interested to see how this is going to go. They can back off on the romance for now. I watch Madam Blanc and I'm glad they aren't pushing the romance between her and Dom. They have a great friendship and so far, I like that. 

Edited March 7 by libgirl2

[blackwing]

It seems odd in today's age to quit a job without something else lined up.  Stuart Martin is a good actor, but it's not like he's a name actor.  I only know him from "Jamestown" and the season of "Medici" that starred Richard Madden.  I know he was also on the last season of "Crossing Lines".  Apart from that, he seems mostly unknown.  I wonder if he's got a bigger show lined up.

I like him and I liked the Duke character well enough, although I was getting annoyed with the Moonlighting-esque "I love you, I hate you, will we, won't we" banter and antics.

I think this show will survive just fine without him.  I like the Patrick Nash character.  He's a much better professional partner for Eliza than William.  No doubt they are going to have some "will they or won't they" between Eliza and Patrick too, but depending on how it plays out, maybe it won't be so irritating. 

I just hope that we don't see Eliza constantly pining for William.

I'm glad that Nash was mentioned in the announcement.  I hope he gets out of his legal troubles quickly.  And then he joins Eliza's agency.

[libgirl2]

2 hours ago, blackwing said:

 

I just hope that we don't see Eliza constantly pining for William.

I'm glad that Nash was mentioned in the announcement.  I hope he gets out of his legal troubles quickly.  And then he joins Eliza's agency.

I hope not either. Of course, she isn't just going to brush it off, but she  seems pretty pragmatic. I can see a good case pulling her out of it. Maybe she will even realize it was never going to work between them because she is not the person he wants her to be, though I'm pretty sure she knows that. 

I hope the same for Nash and I look forward to them hopefully working together. 

[12catcrazy]

21 hours ago, pezgirl7 said:

To minimize the disappointment of those who feel let down by 4 seasons of a relationship buildup, by saying we should just tune in to some crappy reality show on Bravo instead, is just dismissive and disrespectful.

I'm very sorry (mortified actually) that I hurt people's feelings and meant no disrespect.  To everybody whom I offended, please accept my apologies - life in general has enough to grind our teeth over and TV shouldn't be one of those things.  Again, apologies.  

[pezgirl7]

1 hour ago, 12catcrazy said:

I'm very sorry (mortified actually) that I hurt people's feelings and meant no disrespect.  To everybody whom I offended, please accept my apologies - life in general has enough to grind our teeth over and TV shouldn't be one of those things.  Again, apologies.  

Aww that's sweet, thank you, apology accepted. After I made my post, I actually thought I might have over-reacted a bit. 😅 After all, it was just someone else's opinion over a TV show. I think I just had a long day at work and was triggered by your post. Sorry about that.

 

6 hours ago, blackwing said:

It seems odd in today's age to quit a job without something else lined up.  Stuart Martin is a good actor, but it's not like he's a name actor.

I thought perhaps the reason he didn't appear a lot in season 4 was because he was filming Rebel Moon parts 1 and 2, which are Netflix films. I'm assuming he's interested in larger roles, and the filming schedule of Miss Scarlet is interfering with that. He also has two little kids, so that could have affected his decision. 

Although I will miss William a lot, the storyline between him and Eliza was just going around in circles, and there didn't seem to be a way for them to both get what they wanted. It was getting a bit stale since the writers were moving their relationship along at a snail's pace. I think Nash is a nice change, whether he remains just friends with Eliza, or something more.

[Trini]

At Primetimer:

'Miss Scarlet May Have Lost the Duke, But She's Already Changed the TV Landscape'

[magdalene]

On 3/7/2024 at 7:35 AM, blackwing said:

t seems odd in today's age to quit a job without something else lined up.  Stuart Martin is a good actor, but it's not like he's a name actor.  I only know him from "Jamestown" and the season of "Medici" that starred Richard Madden.  I know he was also on the last season of "Crossing Lines".  Apart from that, he seems mostly unknown.  I wonder if he's got a bigger show lined up.

It seems to me these British leading men types who the ladies swoon over leave quite commonly for "greener pastures". Remember the Bridgerton hottie from season 1 or the leading man from season 1 of Sanditon? The latter is now having his own series on Netflix called "The Gentlemen".  Stuart Martin actually stuck around longer than both these actors. 

[blackwing]

19 minutes ago, magdalene said:

It seems to me these British leading men types who the ladies swoon over leave quite commonly for "greener pastures". Remember the Bridgerton hottie from season 1 or the leading man from season 1 of Sanditon? The latter is now having his own series on Netflix called "The Gentlemen".  Stuart Martin actually stuck around longer than both these actors. 

I don't watch Bridgerton so I don't know who you are talking about.  But the Sanditon guy, Theo James?  Has a much bigger career than Stuart Martin ever will have. His really big break was in the Divergent movies.  He's also starred in the cancelled "Time Traveler's Wife" and was Emmy nominated for his role in "The White Lotus" Season 2.

I get why these British actors always seem to jump around, but I feel like the seasons are so short, why can't they juggle multiple commitments?  Or wait until one is done?  How long does it take to film a season that only has 6 episodes?

[magdalene]

3 hours ago, blackwing said:

I don't watch Bridgerton so I don't know who you are talking about. 

Rege-Jean Page. He left Bridgerton to do movies. I am not that familiar with Theo James. My point basically is that all these guys want to branch out while they are "it".

How long does it take to film a season of Miss Scarlett? Probably longer than I would guess. My guess would be 6 to 8 months?

Edited March 11 by magdalene

[tv echo]

‘Miss Scarlet and the Duke’ Roundtable: The Past, The Present & The Season 5 Heartbreak
RACHEL   2 DAYS AGO
https://fangirlish.com/2024/03/14/miss-scarlet-and-the-duke-roundtable/ 

[Irlandesa]

On 2/29/2024 at 10:02 PM, chaifan said:

I am somewhat surprised - I always assumed they had actors sign multiple  year contracts so they could plan out story arcs like this.

On American TV they do but I've always assumed the UK contracts are shorter as there has historically been more cast turnover in the British shows I've watched that last beyond 3 seasons than American shows.  Some have been mentioned above but there has also been Ben Miller (or any detective) from Death In Paradise, the clergy in Grantchester, Nicola Walker in Unforgotten,  and the biggie, Dan Stevens from Downton Abbey. 

I just heard about his departure being permanent and I've read some discussion of his departure online to cope but one thing I don't recall seeing come up is that family logistics might have played a big part in his decision.  For one, he's married to a working actress and they have two kids.  Then, there's the fact that production moved from Dublin in the first season to Belgrade, Serbia for the subsequent seasons.  If his wife and kids are London-based, travel between Dublin and London was probably much easier than traveling to Serbia.  He might have gotten tired of it after three seasons.  

And if that's the case, I'm slightly hopeful we'll see him again. 

On 3/6/2024 at 5:41 PM, Orcinus orca said:

I don't believe Lucy's article indicated she was advocating for a "bodice ripper" at all.  And she was dead on when she said: "The overarching cases of the week have consistently been Miss Scarlet’s weakest elements. Sure, the show has done a frequently remarkable job finding ways to ground its weekly stories in specific and unique female experiences – a welcome shift from many shows of its ilk! – but it’s never been that compelling as a straight mystery series."

One place I don't agree with Lucy's article that William leaving abandons the premise of the show.  It might diverge from the title and logline she described but the show did that as early as Season 1. It was pretty clear from early on that the show was centered around Eliza and her relationships.  She was the lead and everyone else, even the Duke, was supporting.

Another place I disagree is that no one would have watched it if it were just a Victorian lady detective show.  That's not true.  I liked the sexual tension but I would have watched the show without it.

As for a possible new love interest or new character, they could have kept the title if they had just brought in a character who is actually a duke.

Edited March 27 by Irlandesa

[kaygeeret]

I am really going to miss the actor and the character of the Duke.

I hope her new assistant stays as he adds a new dimension to the story.

But I sure will miss the Duke.

 

 

 

 

[tv echo]

First Look: Tom Durant Pritchard joins the cast of crime drama Miss Scarlet for its fifth series
April 18, 2024
https://corporate.uktv.co.uk/news/article/first-look-tom-durant-pritchard-joins-miss-scarlet-fifth-series/ 

Quote

Tom Durant Pritchard (This Is Going To Hurt, The Crown) has joined the cast for the fifth series of hit crime drama Miss Scarlet, with Kate Phillips (Peaky Blinders, The Crown) returning as fan favourite Miss Eliza Scarlet. Filming is currently underway in Belgrade, Serbia and is set to return to Alibi in 2025.

Following the departure of Stuart Martin, who played William "The Duke" Wellington in the previous four series, Tom steps into the role of Alexander Blake, a handsome former soldier and respected detective inspector who joins the force at Scotland Yard to replace the Duke who has gone to America. Shortly after he starts his new job, he meets private detective Miss Eliza Scarlet. He's not particularly shocked by a woman working as a private eye, so Eliza takes this to mean she'll be given more cases. But their relationship gets off to a rocky start since Blake has decided not to allow private detectives to aid in his investigations. As Blake and Miss Scarlet cross paths at various crime scenes across London, they can't help but develop mutual respect for one another, and perhaps even an attraction.
*  *  *
Miss Scarlet Limited's Patty Lenahan Ishimoto added: "Rachael New and Ben Edwards, our talented writers, have crafted yet another captivating character in Alexander Blake and Tom brings him to life brilliantly. He is generous with his wit and charm and truly a welcome addition to the team."

Susanne Simpson, executive producer of MASTERPIECE said: "I can't wait for the Miss Scarlet fans to meet Alexander Blake and see how he and Eliza will get along. We're so fortunate to have found Tom Durant Pritchard - he's the perfect Inspector Blake." MASTERPIECE is presented on PBS by GBH Boston.

Melanie Rumani, global head of acquisitions at BBC Studios and UKTV added: "It's great to see the Miss Scarlet series venture into an exciting new territory with the introduction of Alexander Blake. This character will bring a fresh dynamic to the series whilst also maintaining the wit, charm and mystery that our audiences love most."

ETA: Also reported by Deadline...

‘Miss Scarlet’ Casts Tom Durant Pritchard To Fill Void Left By The Duke
By Lynette Rice    April 18, 2024
https://deadline.com/2024/04/miss-scarlet-casts-tom-durant-pritchard-replacing-the-duke-1235889081/ 

Edited April 19 by tv echo

[Ilovepie]

2 hours ago, tv echo said:

they can't help but develop mutual respect for one another, and perhaps even an attraction.

Hmmm....I'm skeptical. Sounds like the exact same description of her relationship with William. Dragging out a will they/won't they doesn't appeal anymore. I would prefer for him to come in and knock her off her feet romantically and then team up to solve crimes - make this relationship totally different than Eliza's relationship with William, not just more of the same. It would be nice to see some growth from Eliza.

[tessabq]

This series needs Moses to return. He was its most exciting character.

[chitowngirl]

I liked the familiarity that William and Eliza had that only comes from knowing each other many years. It was especially refreshing for the time period.

[tv echo]

I agree that the new love interest just sounds like an inferior clone of Eliza's old love interest, but I don't necessarily agree that Nash should've been the new love interest...

‘Miss Scarlet’ Doesn’t Need To Introduce a New Love Interest—It’s Already Got the Perfect Candidate
El Kuiper   Apr 19, 2024
https://www.themarysue.com/miss-scarlet-season-5-new-love-interest-its-already-got-the-perfect-candidate/ 

Quote

Now, I understand why Miss Scarlet is interested in introducing another love interest. The will-they-won’t-they trope is ingrained into the show’s structure, and Eliza’s stubbornness and independence make the trope all the more fun. However, DI Blake’s role in the upcoming season feels much too similar to DI Wellington’s former role as Eliza’s friend, professional partner, and possibly something more. A gruff detective, reluctant to work with a PI, slowly begins to fall for Eliza. It’s essentially the same role but without the added dimension of Eliza and William’s history.

Part of what made their relationship so compelling was their shared history as children. William was, at times, overprotective, but that side of him made sense because of who they have always been to one another. With Blake, that added layer is lost, and what we are left with is a lesser version of the show’s core relationship.

Obviously, we haven’t seen Pritchard’s character in action yet. There’s every chance he’ll be charming, mysterious, fun, and lovingly gruff, and I may very well change my mind from the season’s premiere episode. Right now, however, I kind of wish that Miss Scarlet season 5 would have taken a different turn. To be entirely honest, with the Duke “out of the way,” as it were, I think Felix Scott’s character, fellow private detective Patrick Nash, would have been a much more fun and interesting choice as Eliza’s new love interest.
*  *  *
Introducing a new, romantic dimension to Eliza and Patrick’s relationship would help ease the sting of William’s departure while honoring his old dynamic with Eliza, as well. To me, the choice was obvious, but who knows? Perhaps the new season will prove me wrong, and I’ll begin shipping Eliza and Alexander from the first moment they’re on screen together. But in the back of my mind, I think I’ll always wonder what might have happened if the show had trusted that Eliza’s perfect match was already out there, in a charismatic, smart, mustachioed gentleman named Patrick Nash.

Edited April 20 by tv echo

[pezgirl7]

I’ll have to wait and see what the new guy is like before I form an opinion on whether he’s a good match for Eliza. I did like her with Nash, and that could still be a possibility. What I don’t want is a love triangle, where both guys are jealous of each other. That’s fine for one episode, but if it spans multiple episodes, it’ll get tiresome. One of the reasons I liked Nash was because he treated Eliza as an equal, they had a nice friendship and he never seemed jealous of William. That could be because he doesn’t have a romantic interest in Eliza. So far the show has really only shown them as friends, which I think would be a good start for something more. 

[Trey]

Do we know yet how the Duke will be written out?

[chitowngirl]

17 minutes ago, Trey said:

Do we know yet how the Duke will be written out?

I would guess they’ll just mention he’s staying in America…