Calling all detective drama fans — your next obsession is back! The hit series, first launched in 2018, is returning for its highly anticipated fifth season in just days, and viewers are already buzzing. With its perfect blend of cosy mystery, comedy, and crime, the show follows Jo Joyner and Mark Benton as a mismatched pair of private detectives chasing down secrets in the shadowy corners of Stratford-upon-Avon. Hailed as “addictive” and boasting an 89% Rotten Tomatoes score, this sleeper-hit is now stepping out of the shadows and into the spotlight. The only question is: will this be the case that finally puts it in the same league as TV’s most legendary detective dramas?
Calling all detective drama fans! The hit crime series, Shakespeare & Hathaway: Private Investigators, is returning to screens with its fifth season in a matter of days and lovers of cosy drama will want to mark their calendars for this one. The series, which first premiered in 2018 and has been hailed as “addictive” by viewers, stars Jo Joyner and Mark Benton as a mismatched private detective duo, Luella Shakespeare and Frank Hathaway, as they investigate mysterious crimes in the picturesque market town of Stratford-upon-Avon.
HELLO!’s TV Writer Abby Allen said of the series: “There are so many detective dramas out there, it’s often hard to choose which to watch first – but Shakespeare and Hathaway: Private Investigators is perfect for fans of Midsomer Murders who are looking for a mixture of comedy and crime. And with Jo Joyner and Mark Benton at the helm, it’s the ideal pick to watch now the nights are drawing in.”
The new series comes to U&alibi on Wednesday, 24 September at 8pm, with all episodes on demand on Sky, Virgin Media and NOW. Keep reading for all we know about season five so far.
What to expect from season 5
Jo Joyner and Mark Benton reprise their roles as an unlikely pair of private investigators, warm-hearted ex-hairdresser Lu Shakespeare and hardboiled ex-cop Frank Hathaway, as they solve thrilling crimes and murder cases in the cobbled streets of Stratford-upon-Avon.
The synopsis reads: “Grumpy ex-cop Frank and warm-hearted ex-hairdresser Lu have gone their separate ways. But all that changes when they’re forced to work together again, alongside their luvvie assistant Sebastian. A remote team-building retreat, paintballing and a corporate spy offers the perfect opportunity for our newly reformed gang to test their loyalties, until their client is electrocuted right in front of them.”
It continues: “An invitation to a Murder Mystery School Reunion reunites Frank with an ex-girlfriend, but it’s game over when the team find themselves trapped in an isolated mansion with a killer on the loose. Stratford’s annual ‘Horror-upon-Avon’ convention is rocked when a movie director is killed after reportedly being terrorised by his own creations. But in their search for a killer, Frank and Lu find themselves starring in a horror movie of their own. And when Lu returns from holiday to discover her house has been stolen, Frank, Sebastian and tech whizz Spider pull out all the stops to help find the culprit before Lu loses everything. But unbeknownst to our gang, something wicked this way comes… a saboteur hides in the shadows determined to destroy Shakespeare & Hathaway for good. Can our gang pull together in time to find the culprit before it’s too late?”
Who stars in Shakespeare & Hathaway?
Jo Joyner (Ackley Bridge, Little Disasters) and Mark Benton (Waterloo Road, Smoggie Queens) lead the cast as Lu Shakespeare and Frank Hathaway.
They’re joined by Patrick Walshe McBride, who plays assistant Sebastian Brudenell.
The trio are joined by a list of guest stars over the course of the series, including Christine Bottomley (Sherwood), Ciarán Griffiths (Coronation Street), Tanya Franks (Broadchurch) and Kacey Ainsworth (Grantchester).
Guy Henry, Raymond Coulthard, Fiona Button, Matt Di Angelo, Michael Higgs, Jan Pearson, Emily Head, James Sheldon and Ben Jones are also among season five’s guest stars.