'The Chelsea Detective' Season 3 Sneak Peek Loves a Spreadsheet

The psychological reasons behind viewers' love of crime stories and mysteries have been studied since the genre was first introduced in the early Victorian era. It is commonly taken as read that the human desire to see order out of chaos is a major driver, as is the sense that all is right with the world after the mystery is solved. However, one reason people tune in to cozy crime series has nothing to do with the murder, mayhem, or a need to restore balance to a world in flux. It's just to hang out with these characters who are utterly delightful to be around, be it the residents of Grantchester, the U.K. ex-pats in France of The Madame Blanc Mysteries, or the team of The Chelsea Detective.

For the record, The Chelsea Detective's team didn't start out all that promisingly. Season 1 began with Sonita Henry (Father Brown) as the newly hired DS Priya Shamsie, who had been on maternity leave and struggled with the job's demands vs those of motherhood. However, Henry's chemistry with co-star Adrian Scarborough as DI Max Arnold was flat, and her character stuck out at odd angles from the rest of the ensemble. That was initially designed to create tension, but it accidentally made her character offputting, and she left at the end of Season 1.

Since Scarborough's new co-star, Vanessa Emme, as DS Layla Walsh, joined the team as a new hire to replace DS Shamsie, the show has found its lane, and the bantering scenes in the office between them and the supporting characters are utterly delightful. Acorn TV knows that's why the show works as well as it does; hence the choice to make the sneak peek of Season 3 all about the importance of keeping spreadsheets.

Here's the third season synopsis:

The third season of The Chelsea Detective sees DI Max Arnold and DS Layla Walsh delving once more into the murky crimes of glamorous Chelsea. The team will investigate the discovery of an ex-soldiers body in an allotment, the brutal murder of an antique dealer, and the mysterious case of a climate scientist found dead in a stolen car. But, while Max remains adept at solving crimes, things are far from straightforward at home. After all their ups and downs, Max and his estranged wife, Astrid are now trying couples therapy in a bid to revive their relationship and unpack where it all went wrong for them.

Scarborough and Emme are joined by returnees Frances Barber (Whitstable Pearl) as Max's aunt, Olivia Arnold; Peter Bankolé (Peaky Blinders) as DC Connor Pollock; Sophie Stone (The Crown) as Dr. Ashley Wilton, Lucy Phelps (D.I. Ray) as DC Jess Lombard, and Anamaria Marinca (Invasion) as Max's wife, Astrid Fischer.

Series creator Peter Fincham was the lead writer for Season 3 with Glen Laker (Vera), Debbie Oates & Ian Kershaw (Medici), and Nicola Wilson (Good Karma Hospital). Directors Jennie Darnell (Trigger Point) and Richard Signy (Death in Paradise) split helming duties on the season's four episodes. Lauriel Martin produced the series, which was executive-produced by Ella Kelly.

The Chelsea Detective Season 3 premieres its second episode on Acorn TV on Monday, April 7, 2025, with episodes three and four to follow weekly on Mondays in April. The season premiere, which doubled as the holiday special, is streaming on Acorn TV now, along with Seasons 1 and 2.