Acorn TV's 'The Chelsea Detective' Will Officially Return for Season 4
Adrian Scarborough and Vanessa Emme kick off "The Chelsea Detective" Season 4
(Photo: Acorn TV)
It's official: Streamer Acorn TV has teamed back up with ZDF to commission a fourth season of their popular mystery series The Chelsea Detective.
Filming is officially underway on the show's fourth outing, which sees star Adrian Scarborough (Killing Eve) reprising his role as Detective Inspector Max Arnold and Vanessa Emme (Dublin Murders) returning once again as his partner, Detective Sergeant Layla Walsh. Unlike many of Acorn TV's procedurals, The Chelsea Detective is a fairly straightforward crime drama about solving murders in the affluent London neighborhood of Chelsea. (Albeit, one that's full of plenty of delightful team-oriented banter between its two leads.) To be clear, it's not that shows about crime and bougie rich people problems can't be compelling TV, it's just a far cry from offerings like the more offbeat Art Detectives, which the streamer has been staking its brand on in recent years.
Season 4 will once again consist of four feature-length mysteries and is expected to premiere next year.
“The Chelsea Detective began during lockdown in a world of social distancing and Covid tests. It’s amazing to think that we’re about the start filming the fourth series," series creator Peter Fincham said in a statement. "Max Arnold, Layla Walsh and their colleagues continue to discover different and surprising sides of Chelsea. It’s the perfect location for a detective series and there’s so much more to come, all thanks to the brilliant team on both sides of the camera.”
Here's the Season 4 synopsis.
Season 4 sees DI Max Arnold and DS Layla Walsh return to tackle four new murders within the elite world of Chelsea – a fashion mogul sinking fast in the trappings of her wealth; an aristocratic dynasty guarding their bloodline with brutal devotion; and a wellness and beauty salon owner concealing lethal truths – all falling under the relentless scrutiny of our duo. This season also features a cryptic double-murder that begins in Chelsea and spirals outward, drawing our team into the cut-throat world of architecture. The regular cast return to crack each case and – while a hint of romance is in the air for Max – as ever, the road to justice is anything but smooth.
Alongside Scarborough and Emme, Sophie Stone (Sheltland) is alslo returning as the brilliant, if occasionally daunting, Chief Forensics Officer Ashley Wilton, with Lucy Phelps (Grace) as research and tech queen DC Jess Lombard, Peter Bankolé (Peaky Blinders) as officer DC Connor Pollock, and Frances Barber (Whitstable Pearl) as Max’s Aunt Olivia.
“We are absolutely thrilled to be returning to Chelsea for yet another mystery-packed season of The Chelsea Detective, a true fan favorite among our passionate subscribers," Don Klees, SVP of Programming, Acorn TV, said in a statement. "We’re excited to be back on the case with the talented Adrian Scarborough and Vanessa Emme as the stakes have never been higher for DI Max Arnold, DS Layla Walsh, and their team. The Acorn TV audience is sure to be titillated this season by the slew of baffling new cases in and around Chelsea.”
The series is produced by Acorn TV’s Acorn Media Enterprises, Germany’s ZDF, and the BBC Studios-invested indie Expectation. Season 4 episodes are written by Fincham, Glen Laker (Vera) and Liz Lake (The Hardacres), with Richard Signy (Death in Paradise) and Audrey Cooke (Trigger Point) directing. It is executive-produced by Fincham and produced by Ella Kelly.
The Chelsea Detective Season 4 is currently filming in and around London, and is expected to be released in 2026.
