New Acorn TV Mystery 'The Chelsea Detective' to Premiere in March

Adrian Scarborough and Sonita Henry in "The Chelsea Detective" (Photo: Acorn TV)

- The Chelsea Detective _ Season 1, Episode 1 - Sven Arnstein/AcornTV

© 2021 Acorn TV

Acorn TV has announced the premiere date for its latest original mystery, The Chelsea Detective, which will be arriving on the streamer in March. 

The series stars Adrian Scarborough (Killing Eve, Sanditon) as Detective Inspector Max Arnold, a sharp intuitive investigator who solves crimes in Chelsea. In the aftermath of his separation from his art dealer wife Astrid (Anamaria Marinca), DI Arnold now lives in a battered houseboat on the Thames, literally floating on the doorstep of some of the most valuable real estate in Europe. But while Chelsea is a beautiful borough for beautiful people, it also has a dark underside of deprivation, violence, greed – and murder. Bodies have a way of showing up, and things are rarely what they seem.

But Max’s determination and acuity mean he’ll find a way to root out the truth and bring those responsible to justice – regardless of their wealth or status. He's joined by his partner, the no-nonsense DS Priya Shamsie (Sonita Henry), as the two try to solve baffling crimes in well-heeled west London. The duo are regularly supported by DC Jess Lombard (Lucy Phelps), the team's resident research and tech queen; rookie officer DC Connor Pollock (Peter Bankolé); and Ashley Wilton (Shetland), the beautiful--if sometimes daunting--Chief Forensics Officer.

The cases the team investigates involve a diverse cross-section of Chelsea life, from the mansions of the super-rich to the council flats of the World’s End Estate, and the rarefied corridors of a prestigious international school to the leafy melancholy of Brompton Cemetery and the bustle of the King’s Road. 

Watch the trailer for yourselves below. 

The series was created and co-written by Emmy Award winner Peter Fincham (The Lost Prince), who is, incidentally, also the man who originally greenlit Downton Abbey for ITV. The four feature-length episodes are written by Glen Laker (Vera, Prime Suspect), Peter Fincham, and Liz Lake (Riviera, Call the Midwife).

The Chelsea Detective premieres on March 7, and new episodes will arrive every Monday through March 28.


Lacy Baugher

Lacy's love of British TV is embarrassingly extensive, but primarily centers around evangelizing all things Doctor Who, and watching as many period dramas as possible.

Digital media type by day, she also has a fairly useless degree in British medieval literature, and dearly loves to talk about dream poetry, liminality, and the medieval religious vision. (Sadly, that opportunity presents itself very infrequently.) York apologist, Ninth Doctor enthusiast, and unabashed Ravenclaw. Say hi on Threads or Blue Sky at @LacyMB. 

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