She’s a clever but impetuous private eye from Victorian London in Miss Scarlet and the Duke. He’s a hard-boiled police detective in present-day Amsterdam in Van der Valk.
The two sleuths couldn’t be more different — save for the fact that both Eliza Scarlet (Kate Phillips) and Piet van der Valk (Marc Warren) will be unraveling more mysteries when these British shows return to Masterpiece Mystery! for their sophomore seasons. Let’s see how the two stack up.
Miss Scarlet and the Duke
Cracking Case
The deaths of two men mirror murders from a popular novel, embroiling Eliza and Inspector Wellington (Stuart Martin) — aka “The Duke” — in another whodunit on the penultimate episode.
Notable Newcomer
Fitzroy (Evan McCabe), the police commissioner’s son. An exasperated Duke tries to make a worthy detective out of the skittish young man.
Romantic Distractions
Eliza and Wellington continue to gravitate toward each other, but the tensions that arise as they work the same cases threaten to pull them apart.
Van der Valk
Cracking Case
In the third and final installment, the slaying of a prominent cellist leads the tenacious detective and his team to a cabal that grooms girls to have sex with powerful men.
Notable Newcomer
Castoff police dog Sniffer adds a dollop of cuteness to the dark series by snapping up treats meant for canines and humans.
Romantic Distractions
The closed-off Dutchman connects with the zestful Lena (Loes Haverkort). Is she the one who can help him move on from his lost love?
Miss Scarlet and the Duke, Sunday, October 16, 8/7c, PBS (check local listings at pbs.org)
Van Der Valk, Sunday, September 25, 9/8c, PBS (check local listings at pbs.org)
This is an excerpt from TV Guide Magazine’s 2022 Returning Favorites issue. For more first looks at fall’s returning shows, pick up the issue, on newsstands now.