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British Television Mystery Series: Shakespeare & Hathaway: Private Investigators

There are certain television series that attract me – and this is one of them. My husband and I for a long time were just Acorn members so I was quite disappointed to find out that the ads for the Shakespeare & Hathaway: Private Investigators British Cozy Mystery shows belonged to BritBox. This is the show that “made us” join BritBox — and I’m glad we did!

Shakespeare & Hathaway stars two main private detectives: Frank Hathaway and Luella Shakespeare. Frank (played extremely well by Mark Benton) is an ex-Detective Inspector who owns the business. He reluctantly allows Lu (beautifully played by Jo Joyner), a hairdresser, to buy into his business. The real treat is their assistant Sebastian – bravo Patrick Walshe McBride! Frank & Lu do the leg work associated with being private detectives and Sebastian does the undercover work. Sebastian is a total hoot >>> a joy to watch as he dons costumes while pretending to be different professions. Good thing he’s friends with a costume maker and that he aspires to being in the Royal Shakespeare Company!

The chemistry between the three regulars is terrific. Frank is sort of a grump, Lu is a ray of sunshine, and Sebastian is simply adorable. This is an upbeat show – as upbeat as a show can be that deals with death, betrayals, liars, cheats, and – well, you know, very bad people.

The show takes place in Stratford-upon-Avon -> and it is so beautiful that I find myself wondering why my neighborhood can’t have beautiful parks, historic buildings, flowers blooming, etc. The scenery is absolutely beautiful. And the actual detectives’ office is very realistic – exactly what you would expect — given that the main private detective doesn’t put much thought to the importance of order (vs. clutter)!

This series is truly a Cozy Mystery series – a lot of the things they investigate aren’t murders. You never see a mangled body – there are no morgue visits. This is a BBC production which started in 2018. As of 2022, they are in their fourth season. Each 45 minute episode is a self-contained mystery – which I much prefer over long-running mystery shows.

I totally recommend Shakespeare & Hathaway to everyone who wants to enjoy a truly Cozy Mystery show. Unfortunately it is only available on BritBox – however if you look at their lineup of shows – you’ll see that they offer a lot of Cozy Mystery shows.

Comments

  2. I also love Shakespeare and Hathaway. Their stories are just the right mix of mystery and comedy. I really love Britbox. The entire range of British TV on one streaming service. I still watch Acorn too.

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  4. I love this show! I found it recently and even though I promised myself that I would pace myself, I’ve already watched the entire 4 seasons. Such great chemistry with the main actors.

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  5. Danna, I’m looking at the free trials. Do you have to sign up for both free trials, Prime and BritBox? I would only be interested in BritBox. The Shakespeare & Hathaway sounds like a wonderful show.

    Sharon in MD

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    • Sharon, I believe you only need to get BritBox, but I’m not 100% sure about that! You might also need a Prime account, but might not need to actually have a paid subscription? Like I said, I’m not 100% certain.

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      • Thank you, Danna. I’ll check that out. I searched yesterday on my public library, and they have all of the Shakespeare & Hathaway DVDs! So, I ordered Season 1. Looking forward to it.

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  6. My husband and I recently added a Britbox subscription too and are enjoying it. Shakespeare and Hathaway is a particular favorite along with Death in Paradise. I agree with everything you said in your review. We are on season 2 now and I’ve also noticed that the writers are doing some borrowing from Shakespeare for their plots. We watched one this week that borrowed from The Taming of the Shrew for its plot.

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  7. I love Shakespeare and Hathaway! It is one of the best. All the characters are good and Sebastian is such a funny guy.

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  8. Danna, thank you for this wonderful article about this Cozy Mystery TV Series.

    I have long been a deep Anglophile, and have a great fondness for things “across the pond.” Also, I happen to love the concept, especially as free Shakespeare productions have resumed in the NYC area.

    I also found your comment about how you would love to see more beautiful parks in your area very sad. Where I live in New Jersey, the Mayor is committed to every aspect of living in a city being as enjoyable as possible. He is tough on crime, and big on beautifying the neighborhood, too. There is one park, about twenty blocks from me, that is very relaxing and has been improved upon considerably, these last five to ten years.

    Regarding BritBox, given that my home is the “House of Streaming Services,” I have no doubt that at some point, BritBox shall be an additional one. Although I think I shall be the only one watching it, as my life partner rarely, if ever, watches British shows and movies, but that is OK.

    Thanks for another great post.

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    • Tarot, the problem for parks here in San Antonio isn’t really a lack of commitment… they’re quite lovely if you like “rugged” terrain, shrublands etc, but there just isn’t appropriate soil or sufficient water available for a greener look.

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      • @Danna, thank you for the additional info about San Antonio, Texas. Over the years, I have met people who either live in Texas or are from there, but live elsewhere, at this time. Interestingly enough, I have become quite “Twittery” with someone on Twitter who currently lives in San Antonio, but I do not exactly where, for obvious reasons.

        I AM glad to know that your local government is committed to making the live of San Antonions (if I used the wrong form, I apologize) And yes, given the topography of Texas, it would be challenging to get certain areas greener, as opposed to browner, but I digress.

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  9. Wholeheartedly agree on your assessment, it is an excellent series all-around! I discovered in the nick of time that PBS just started airing Season 4 in my area, so I was able to catch the first episode. I also noticed that Mark Benton came back to Series Four lighter in weight: I almost didn’t recognize him! This series is also a good travel advert for the Stratford area; I often find myself researching the various locations used in the series.

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  10. My family just discovered Shakespeare and Hathaway and are really enjoying it, too! We originally subscribed to Britbox (we also have Acorn) to watch Death in Paradise (my daughter and I love this one!) and we found other shows we like New Tricks. Like the cozy mysteries I read, I like watching mysteries that have some humor and great characters.

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      • Something tells me that my household shall soon have two additional streaming services: Acorn and BritBox. That would make nine or ten, if my count is correct. Good thing I do not pay for all of them! HA!!

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  12. I totally agree with you. Shakespeare and Hathaway is a treat to watch. The characters are well developed and form an interesting trio. I first watched the show on our local PBS channel.
    I received a gift of the Acorn service and was disappointed not to find Shakespeare and Hathaway on their list of shows.

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  13. I, too, absolutely adore Shakespeare and Hathaway. As you say, it definitely is the perfect introduction to all things BritBox.

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  15. I love Shakespeare & Hathaway! And yes, Sebastian is adorable! There are several good mysteries on Britbox, although many of those may be more “police procedurals” than cozy mysteries. There was another one called Rosemary & Thyme that was so fun as well. This series was based on the Rosemary & Thyme Mystery book series by Brian Eastman. The ladies are two professional gardeners who solve mysteries. There are some lovely gardens shown too.

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  16. I really enjoy this series. I learned of it through the library’s list of new DVD’s. I have been able to watch the first three seasons and keep checking for the fourth series. For people without streaming services (like me) the library carries many great series including shows from Britian, Australia, and New Zealand.

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  17. I’ve been thinking of getting Brit Box, but haven’t quite decided yet since I’m a little bit addicted to Hallmark and haven’t watched all of their mysteries yet. I just started watching them last year. When I can give my full attention to Brit Box for a week I’ll have to try the free trial. It sounds good, especially since you said it has a lot of cozy mysteries. I would love to see more shows like Murder, She Wrote –
    weekly one hour cozies.

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  19. Agree wholeheartedly! Love Shakespeare & Hathaway and hope they continue to make more shows as I’ve watched all of them. Cozy mysteries that ultimately leave the viewer smiling! What fun!

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  20. Totally agree! Love this show!! The last episode I saw was Wudermas/Christmas episode. Hope britbox loads more! Also love the show Father Brown as well. Another good cozy.

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  21. Apart from the enjoyable little crime mysteries the trio put their minds to, it is an excercise spotting all the Shakesperean connections (i.e. in firms and villains names). I’m sure many of them pass me by as I’m not too familiar with the Bard’s work.

    On another point, a new series of Macdonald and Dodds is due to start next week.

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  22. Shakespeare and Hathaway is in my top 10 “Light” cozy TV mystery shows! I love watching it (and re-watching) if I need a break from the more serious mysteries. Both lead actors are perfect, BUT I LOVE Patrick as Sebastian! He is terrific! I highly recommend it if you enjoy a fun cozy mystery!
    Oh, I started out with Acorn, too, but added Britbox for the additional shows. My wonderful hubby bought both streaming services for me as gifts. I think I’ll keep him!

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    • Lydia, I have often referred to my home as the “House of Streaming Services.” Currently, we have Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video. Also, since my life partner and I are major fans of “Star Trek” and “Doctor Who,” we also have Paramount Plus, formerly known as CBS AllAccess and Philo. Oh, and we also have Peacock Plus, the streaming service of the NBC Network. I only pay for Hulu and Peacock Plus, so I plan on keeping my life partner, too (smile).

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  23. Hello, Nice to get your newsletter. I am a BritBox subscriber for the sole reason of the show: Home Away from Home; I adore these folks who swap their home with that of another to spend a few days time at. It is something that I could never, ever do…to have total strangers sleeping in the same bed as ours. I am the selfish sort. Yet, the homes are lovely and so are the towns. Some of the home swappers seem very nice.
    I do also like some of the earlier shows: Faulty Towers, Are You Being Served, and Keeping up Appearances; to name but a few.

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  24. Such an easy show to watch, as you say not a lot of violence or blood. Love the interaction between characters. Lucky for me I do both Acorn and BritBox.

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  25. I love Shakespeare and Hathaway, too. The music at the beginning reminds me of the series Rosemary and Thyme several years ago. I watch Shakespeare and Hathaway on my local PBS channel so if you don’t have BritBox, you may still be able to find it there.

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  27. This is also one of my favorite shows. I have been lucky enough to watch it on public television, however, they are only on season 2. I may have to breakdown and order Brit Box since I love their shows.

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  28. FYI – I just discovered that Shakespeare & Hathaway is available on Amazon Prime, though you have to purchase it (one show for $1.99 or the season for $14.99).

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  29. Another great show I’ve just watched is The Madame Blanc Mysteries starring Sally Lindsay and Steve Edge. From Amazon: Jean White is an antiques dealer who runs a successful business with her husband, Rory. But when he suddenly dies and leaves her nearly penniless, Jean relocates to their one remaining asset – a cottage in French antiques hub Saint Victoire – and begins investigating Rory’s mysterious death.

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  30. One of my favorites! I wish The Last of the Summer Wine was back on my public station. That’s a really different show that will really grow on u! Lots of laughs!

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  31. It is also available on Hoopla. If your library subscribes to it, there
    is no charge to sign up for it. Hoopla has many other mystery
    series available.

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  32. Pardon the interruption, but Death in Paradise just announced a new series set in the UK and featuring DI Humphrey Goodman!!! I’m so excited!! I tried to share it on your Facebook page but I can’t figure out how to do it, lol.

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    • I saw that, too! Absolutely looking forward to watching it! Also saw that Murder in Suburbia will be airing on Britbox, starting July 5. It’s only 2 seasons but was a fun one.

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