The BBC ‘s six-part series DEATH VALLEY stars Timothy Spall as John Chapel and Gwyneth Keyworth as DS Janie Mallowan. Together, they investigate a string of crimes bit unfortunately, the show never quite comes together.
At the centre of the series is Charles Ceaser, a fictional TV detective within the show.
He’s a man who cracks every case he’s given, portrayed by John Chapel (Spall), a foul-tempered recluse living in a small Welsh town. He doesn’t speak to his neighbours and opens his door only with reluctance.
DS Janie Mallowan, the local police officer, comes knocking when a property developer across the road turns up dead in his office. She questions Chapel and asks for his help. From there, Chapel assists her in solving various cases throughout the series.
I had high expectations going in. Timothy Spall is a great actor, especially memorable as Peter Pettigrew in Harry Potter.
But in this limited series, his performance comes off as annoying and unfunny. The same goes for DS Mallowan, whose character failed to hold my interest.
I couldn’t make it past the third episode. Their chemistry lacks spark and coherence, and they don’t have the dynamic “push and pull” essential to compelling crime-solving duos.
Ludwig, by contrast, was brilliant. The writing was sharp and funny, with storylines that kept you hooked. It’s a series you can binge in one sitting, fully engaged from beginning to end. DEATH VALLEY on the other hand, lacks that same flair and purpose.
This is the kind of show you’ll forget soon after watching. It won’t make your list of must-watch crime dramas. Despite its potential, the storyline fizzles out quickly. It feels like the writers ran out of ideas early on and tried too hard to compensate.
I wasn’t even sure whether I was watching a comedy or a drama and that’s not a good sign.
In the end, DEATH VALLEY is a deeply disappointing entry in the murder mystery genre.
It completely missed the mark.