"Miss Scarlet and the Duke" Returns for Season 5 as "Miss Scarlet"

The popular PBS Masterpiece Mystery series, "Miss Scarlet and the Duke" has returned for its fifth season rebranded as "Miss Scarlet". This is due to the exit of the Scottish leading actor, Stuart Martin, who portrayed the title role of Inspector Wellington, known as "the Duke". While Stuart Martin has left open the possibility of his return to the series at a later date, in "Miss Scarlet" a new inspector for Scotland Yard is introduced in the series, Inspector Alexander Blake, who is portrayed by Tom Durant Pritchard. A British actor who is best known for his role in "The Crown" series.

The plot of "Miss Scarlet and the Duke" was heavily centered around the battle of the sexes. As Eliza Scarlet decided to become a private detective after the death of her father. With the show taking place during the Victorian era in London, this is a determined decision on the part of Miss Scarlet. As the convention of the era would dictate that she opt for marriage instead. However, determined to make it on her own following in her late father's footsteps, Eliza's crime solving profession often leads her to solving cases alongside Inspector Wellington. A male chauvinist acquaintance of Miss Scarlet's since childhood.

With Miss Scarlet's fiercely independent ways clashing with Inspector Wellington's male chauvinist views, one of the principal dynamics of "Miss Scarlet and the Duke" was the two lead characters denying their mutual attraction to one another. With the exit of Stuart Martin from the series, "Miss Scarlet" is taking a softer tone as Inspector Blake is fiercely opposed to Miss Scarlet's involvement in solving crimes for Scotland Yard, not so much due to her gender, but due to his overall disdain in hiring private detectives. As he believes in solving crimes through his own skill and sparing the agency any unnecessary expenses that are incurred by hiring private detectives.

The mystery series, "Miss Scarlet and the Duke" is unique for a PBS Masterpiece mystery series, for while it is inspired by literature, it is not directly based off of a book series. The name of the lead character, Miss Eliza Scarlet, was chosen by the series' creator, Rachael New, based off of two of her favorite literary heroines - Scarlett O'Hara from Margaret Mitchell's "Gone With The Wind" and Elizabeth Bennet from Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice". And in the show, Eliza Scarlet is portrayed by Kate Phillips, a British actress who has appeared in several historical period dramas such as "Wolf Hall", "The Crown", and "Downton Abbey".

In "Miss Scarlet" we have Inspector Blake both being bemused by and admiring Eliza Scarlet's crime solving abilities. His own daughter has a taste for adventure and is a big fan of the book, "Treasure Island". And while the first episode of season five does drag a little bit as the show's writers adjust to the new male lead in the series, the new dynamic of private versus public crime solvers does have some promise. For those interested in watching the first episode of season five, PBS has made it available on their website here: Miss Scarlet Season 5: Episode 1, The Rival