User reviews

Whilst investigating a murder DS Janie Mallowan discovers that a mysterious reclusive man living by the scene is none other than John Chapel, better known as 'Caesar' a well known TV detective. After a frosty initial meeting, the pair team up to solve a number of cases.

I can see why reviews have fallen on both sides, I get it, I'd say it's all about expectation, just know what you're getting.

It's light, easy going, slightly silly, family friendly viewing, it's very much in the Sunday teatime group of shows, if you like Father Brown and Mallorca Files, you'll definitely appreciate this.

Wonderful location work, it's lovely to recognise to many of the wonderful Welsh locations.

Gwyneth Kenyon is bags of fun as the brash, outspoken Mallowan, Timothy Spall can simply do no wrong in my eyes, lots of well known faces pop up and it's good to see so much Welsh talent.

If you're wanting something serious, you'll be disappointed, if you want fun, easy viewing, you'll enjoy it. More please.

8/10.

This show is great fun and a new spin on murder mystery show. I loved the relationship between Timothy Spall's character and Gwyneth Keyworth's character. I've always loved these two actors and they work so well together. Lovely setting in Wales and lots of other good actors. Murder mystery with some comedy. I binged watched in two days. I hope they make more! Just give this show a chance. If you like Death in Paradise, and Midsomer Murders, I am sure you will enjoy this. I also loved the Welsh accents and when some characters spoke in Welsh. The relationship between Gwyneth Keyworth and her mum is great too.

I don't understand people giving ratings of 1 for this. They must be very serious people because for me it's amongst the funniest detective shows that I've seen. The writing is excellent and it delivers exactly what it's meant to deliver. Not highly original but more enjoyable to watch than most in this genre. Timothy Spall is always excellent and Gwyneth Keyworth, while not the most convincing detective, is brilliant. It definitely doesn't take itself seriously, even slightly. If you're looking for authenticity and grittiness in your detective shows you'll hate this. I feel that you can have too much grittiness.

If you view this as another murder mystery show, then you might be vaguely disappointed. However, if you plant your taste organ in your cheek and let the show be itself, you'll find that it is ironic, does not take itself too seriously and while being being light hearted and fun never goes over board with it.

And takes a few of the more overused tropes of the genre down a peg or two in the process.

The show could so easily have been "Americanised" and become a mockery of iteself by being overdone, and we can only hope that it doesn't.

I've watched the first 3 episodes that have aired so far. I'll be back for all of them.

Unlike some other reviewers, I am writing this after seeing all if the first series (6 episodes viewed in 2 days).

Yes, to a lot of English viewers this will be different to what they are used to seeing but the complexities of Welsh life is here to see and beautifully crafted by the writer and executed by the recognisable cast.

It's good see the Welsh language featured on prime time tv (there are 3 recognised spoken languages in the UK) and the sides for the shoe has been compared to last year's non-detective detective comedy show Ludwig.

It has to be said that the show does lose its way mid-series but the season finale has the show back on form.

It would be great to see it back (Bach?) but it does need a strong script to do so.

It is transparently obvious that Timothy Spall is having the time of his life in the role of former TV detective and now retired ham and you just can't help but share in his glee. British comedies that actually raise a laugh have been rather rare of late so it's a delight that a return to Wales after Gavin & Stacey's exit has given us another. Gwyneth Keyworth makes an excellent foil for Spall veering between awestruck and exasperated, competent and bewildered in the presence of her favourite TV character/actor. The love/hate banter between the two as they reluctantly accept their need for each other is very much the highlight of the show.

As others here have pointed out, she's a thoroughly off-putting character. And not even in a convincing or consistent way. At the start of episode 1, she's so thrilled to see Timothy Spall, as a TV detective-show star she idolizes, that she acts like a breathless schoolgirl fan (though she's supposed to be a cop). Yet just minutes after pushing her way into his home and chatting with him, she's inexplicably treating him with disdain and is impatient to leave. A couple of scenes later, talking with him in a coffee shop, she begins helping herself to chunks of his brownie... and apparently we're supposed to find this hilarious. I did not. And that's as far as I got.

The show kicks off with what seems like an open and shut suicide in a bucolic village but Chapel, relying on his acting instincts, senses foul play. Janie, initially irritated by his amateur sleuthing, slowly warms to his unconventional insights. Together, this odd couple tackles murder cases ranging from village dignitaries to walking group tragedies, all threaded with witty banter, cozy crime tropes, and light hearted investigative drama.

Critics have praised the series' charm and chemistry. The Guardian dubbed it "a cosy, witty joy," likening it to "Midsomer Murders with jokes. The Daily Telegraph awarded the opener 4/5 stars, highlighting Spall's engaging performance and his character's rivalry with Ludwig, a classic detective persona. BritBox, which streams the show in the US, describes it as a traditional mystery with comedic flair.

Supporting cast includes Steffan Rhodri as DCI Barry Clarke, Alexandria Riley, Rithvik Andugula, Melanie Walters, Patricia Hodge, among others, who round out the local suspects, victims, and red herrings populating the Welsh countryside.

Beneath the playful tone lie arcs in which Chapel grapples with grief for his late wife, while Janie confronts her own emotional ghosts-bolstering the warm rapport that develops between them.

With its scenic Welsh backdrop, engaging leads, and classic whodunit charm spiced with humor, "Death Valley" offers a refreshing twist on cosy crime TV. Whether you're drawn by Timothy Spall's seasoned presence or the cozy mysteries, it's well worth adding to your watchlist.

A light hearted and amusing amateur sleuth series but with serious problems with the images. Whether or not the producers thought that maladjusting the black level up for every scene making the whole series look foggy and smoky and using this as a high key effect or whether the post production process was very poor is a moot point!

As with a few others, after 10 minutes of viewing the first episode, I almost switched off. Found it cringeworthy and struggled with some overacting. However, I persevered and am so pleased I did! Really enjoyed this once the characters started to develop. It's not meant to be true to life - hence its endearing quirky nature. Timothy Spall plays a great part as John Chapel and I warmed to the character, Janie. There are some great one liners that had me laughing out loud - especially from Janie's boss Steffan Rhodri who is so funny!

And the beautiful scenery of Wales is an added bonus!

Really hoping there's going to be a second series.

For what it is, it's not bad at all. It's a light comedic mystery, which is to say, 45-60 minutes of entertainment, nothing to heavy nothing to dark... an hour's distraction from "real world" (whatever that is chaos).

It's not great, but hell's bells, it's the first episode.. it could get better, many do. On the other hand, it could devolve into something completely unwatchable.. think Beyond Paradise with its 1 gelded male, 1 idiot, 3 domineering women, and a duck. What a shame... pardon me, i digress

If you like this sort of show, Death Valley is good, and I think will get better. If you are looking for dark and heavy, this ain't it. I like both.

Bottom line, I enjoyed the first episode and am looking forward to more.

Firstly, this is not unwatchable . It's just not that good. The main problems are the woman detective and her male boss, both unbelievably inept and annoying and both have zero credibility. I know there is a comedic element about the show but there needs to be a shred of credibility as well. I can forgive the plot holes and rushed conclusions but not the idea that these two are supposed to be ranking police officers. Timothy Spall nearly rescues the show but not quite.

If there is to be a series two, some of the flaws need to be ironed out. Some of the Welsh accents need a bit of work from some guest stars as well.

Not perfect, but it's a silly, funny, murdery tv show. Give it a chance queen! Also why do i have to write so much. Okay um great accents. The police chief (unsure of what his actual title is) has daughters and mentions it a lot! But that fact also makes him hilarious. The actor (him) and detective (her) are the main characters with their own baggage, but she looks up to him. The actor always gets involved with her cases and they solve them in a fun way. If you like death in paradise, i think you'll like this show. Okay almost reached the minimum required characters. Watch watch watch fun fun fun!

Light entertainment category I suppose. I few missing lines and visual comedy gags, you nowadays wonder are removed so as to not offend .. someone . The usual DEI casting which is quite withering but accurate eventually. A tad too many assumption points in the cases to be totally convincing, a few more hit and misses in the script would be more plausible. Excellent cast doing their best within the limitations of a modern offend nobody production. It's likely that fewer than 3-5 Indian-born person named Chaudhry resides in Wales, and the number of such individuals specifically born in Wales is even smaller, potentially close to zero.

Absolutely love Timothy Spall. Wonderful and versatile actor, I really wanted to enjoy this latest offering from one of our greatest living actors.

Aren't comedies supposed to be funny? Aren't dramas supposed to be dramatic?

This nonsense failed miserably on both counts, and reminded me of American so-called comedy where the punchlines are telegraphed and not in the least bit amusing. The only thing missing was canned laughter. And to be clear, stupidity does NOT equate to comedy..

So disappointed with Timothy Spall..

..he's gone from a sublime performance as The Duke of Norfolk in Wolf Hall, to this ridiculous tosh.

I am very impressed with this show. So many of the new shows out now I can't stand. They all try to be something that they're not. It's a mystery, but it tries to be funny. It's a comedy that tries to be serious. This show has managed to combine comedy and mystery and balances them out.

And both the lead actors are terrific. Timothy Spall is so underrated. I haven't seen him in much but he is terrific in this. The writing in the show is excellent also. I was very impressed. I have to play it over again a couple of times because of the accents but otherwise I love it. Please let them do more like this.

Well - my very first review. So don't expect too much... Read some of the other, earlier reviews before watching the series - my tip: Don't do that.

At least not in too deep, just get the over all tendency.

There's mentioning of some stuff not being realistic - well, surprise, surprise, it NOT a documentary. It's meant for ENTERTAINMENT. And a lot of what's happening on screen does that for me, it's entertaining me, not on a serious level but light-heartedly. It's FUN.

Actors do fit their rolls, speak properly (important for us non-native English-speakers), beautiful filming, scripting good.

Now the 'down'-bits.

The selective depth of sharpness is often over-used - for my taste. Sometimes it's more like a softener all over the screen - unneccessarily so, the times of sensitive actresses of a higher age is over, I think... And then there are the instances where I expect Martin Clunes to come 'round the next street corner - yep, "Doc Martin" has been filmed in Cornwall, but the likeness of the town AND (especially!!!) the music give me the exact feeling!

But what people find with Timothy Spall is beyond me. Is probably something with me, lacking an upbringing on the British Isles...

Timothy Spall as always is excellent but based on the first episode I found it very disappointing. It is advertised as a comedy drama but I felt more effort was put into the comedy than the drama. It did make me chuckle a few times but I was hoping it would be a drama with a slight comedic touch. What I struggle with most was trying to cram the story it into one episode. We seemed to jump from puzzling over a few random clues to all of a sudden having a Death in Paradise type ending where everyone was gathered together and the big rather complex reveal was made with no explanation as to how they got there.

I will give episode two a try but not hopeful I'm afraid.

Edit. Well I gave episode two a try and enjoyed it more, by the time I watched all of season one I had changed my mind and now look forward to season 2.

The opening 10 minutes or so are really bad, with what looks like an attempt to make fun out of talking too fast, like the 1940s screwball comedies... it doesn't work. In fact, the series only really takes off when the brilliant Timothy Spall appears... he is utterly watchable in all he does. Gwyneth Keyworth is capable of being funny when the lines are good enough, and there are some good guest star turns. In general, the script, direction and acting are uneven, with some scenes working really well and others falling a bit flat.

If they make a second series, I'd advise the producers to beef up the writing team, and make sure Spall is on screen as much as possible!

The first episode is unconvincing, but the series gets better after that. I especially liked episode 4 - where a murder occurs in an amateur dramatics society, and Spall gives an acting masterclass as part of the story. Some of the cast should take note! Episode 5, where a murder takes place during a 'murder weekend' is also great fun, with a lovely guest appearance by Patricia Hodge.

You should like this if you enjoyed Father Brown or Ludwig.

Seeing Timothy Spall in a new detective series the first thing that I thought was I hope its good enough for him. I think he's a brilliant actor. Probably my favourite performance of his was as Ian Paisley opposite Colm Meeny. I was also a little concerned when I saw it was set in wales. Having just seen the first episode and the first face I noticed was that of Steve Mao (hoffeman in high hopes) raised my expectations and it turned out to be a pleasant surprise from there on. Spall is as always excellent and the support cast do a fine job. Welsh humour is on show and I had a few chuckles along the way. It fits well into the cosy mystery slot and I must say Im looking forward to the next. I have to say that Tim playing a retired actor sort of in the vein of the crew of galaxyquest is inspired.

This is based on my seeing only the first episode so far... I will watch anything that Timothy Spall appears or stars in. He's such a good and reliable actor and he didn't disappoint me in this effort.

It's the kind of light,easy going murder mystery type of show that appeals to me...not unlike shows such as 'Murder She Wrote' or 'Poirot'.

There are some niggles however.

The main one is the character played by Gwyneth Keyworth,for two reasons.

First,when she first meets Spall,she ingratiates herself into his life in a really selfish and annoying manner and when he suggests this to her she blames him and ends the first encounter with rudeness.

Second,I can see why she needs to be a little eccentric but the constant flakiness,no matter who she's talking to,gets very waring quite quickly.

As I said.this is based solely on the first episode and I'm hoping that,as time goes on,these annoyances with play themselves out.

I hope so because it is in essence the type of show I usually really like to watch.

One reviewer mentioned not getting past 15 minutes of the first episode. I couldn't get that far. The main female character had been hired as a detective but was, to put it mildly, an idiot. Total lack of professionalism, as she babbled incoherently upon meeting the tv star , then knocked over some of valuables, then, without permission, took rare books off his shelf. I guess that was supposed to be funny, but it had a comedic level somewhere below Benny Hill. The UK can usually be counted on for brilliant crime series, even of the lighter variety, but this one was so light as to be weightless.

Early in the first episode, there's a TV murder mystery on in the background and one of the characters comments that they're all the same. So there can be no doubt in the viewer's mind as to whether "Death Valley" is intended to be a serious murder mystery series or a tongue-in-cheek self-mocking amusement. There's a hint in the title as well

The actual murder mysteries are rather silly, but that's partly the point. The show is witty and amusing, and the characters are fun. The main draw is Timothy Spall, who is as wonderful as usual, playing a retired actor. Gwyneth Keyworth is also very good as the slightly goofy police officer who relies on Spall for help in solving the crimes, while trying to keep this fact away from her superiors.

I think I managed 6 minutes of this utter tripe before I switched off! Are we seriously expected to believe that DS Janie Mallowan is a real police officer? That the police force allows absolute dipsticks with the vocabulary of a five year old to become a detective?

Poor Timothy Spall having to listen to that annoying voice and childish behaviour as she goes through his house knocking things over, picking things up and being all gooey eyed over her hero actor. And this in just 5 minutes of the programme! Does it get any better or did I do the right thing by turning it off?! I usually depend on the BBC for brilliant programmes but sadly this pile of rubbish hasn't met the mark. Thumbs down, moving on.

Baded on the first episode, Death Valley is one effing annoyingly charming comedic mystery series.

Once I saw Timothy Spall and Gwyneth Keyworth together on screen, I immediately know I'm gonna enjoy the series. Those 2 can banter and it looks like a father-daughter scene, not related and it's not a spoiler. The chemistry was brilliant.

For those who remember Spall from Harry Potter, he's the rat friend of Harry's dad. And when you watched Death Valley, don't be surprised that Spall looks like an everyday old British elder. That's how hood his acting skills is.

Anyway, I personally recommended Death Valley for a light entertainment and a smile.

Wow, such horrible comments! Death Valley smart, it's funny, and the Welsh accents are charming. Timothy Spall, as the crime writer, is wry and hilarious-I never thought of him in a role like this before. Gwyneth Keyworth, as DI Janie Mallowan, a young detective, who is almost too passionate for the detective novels of John Chapell (Spall), recruits him to help solve murders. They're all nutty and fun. I'm not sure why there are so many negative reviews. It would be fabulous to see more of this series. The rest of the cast are as quirky and delightful as the two leads. The scenery is worth the watch, as well.