Series synopsis
The Chelsea Detective is a British crime mystery television series that premiered on Acorn TV on February 7, 2022. It was created by Peter Fincham. It stars Adrian Scarborough, Sonita Henry, Vanessa Emme and Anamaria Marinca.
Detective Inspector Max Arnold lives on a battered houseboat at the end of Cheyne Walk after separating from his art dealer wife Astrid. The son of a local bookshop owner, Max is a far cry from the affluent elite whose crimes he'll help solve along with D.C. Priya Shamsie.
Premise
Detective Inspector Max Arnold lives on a battered houseboat at the end of Cheyne Walk after separating from his art dealer wife Astrid. The son of a local bookshop owner, Max is a far cry from the affluent elite whose crimes he'll help solve along with D.C. Priya Shamsie.
Cast and characters
Leading cast
- Adrian Scarborough as DI Max Arnold
- Sonita Henry as DS Priya Shamsie
- Vanessa Emme as DS Layla Walsh
- Anamaria Marinca as Astrid Fischer
- Peter Bankolé as DC Connor Pollock
- Lucy Phelps as DC Jess Lombard
- Sophie Stone as Ashley Wilton
- Davood Ghadami as Nitin Shamsie
Supporting cast
- Cayvan Coates as Luca Romano
- Cecilia Appiah as PC Lana Appleby
- Michael D. Xavier as Patrick Thompson
- Frances Barber as Olivia Arnold
- Kobe Golde as Poppy Shamsie
- Ella Bruccoleri as Rena Friedman
- Philip Bulcock as Laurence Carter
- Shireen Farkhoy as Sophie Carter
- Jack Ashton as Toby Hansard
- Oli Higginson as Jack Felton
- Esh Alladi as Khalid Hassan
- Mina Andala as Lyn Cowie
Guest cast
- Cayvan Coates as Luca Romano
- Cecilia Appiah as PC Lana Appleby
- Michael D. Xavier as Patrick Thompson
- Frances Barber as Olivia Arnold
- Kobe Golde as Poppy Shamsie
- Ella Bruccoleri as Rena Friedman
- Philip Bulcock as Laurence Carter
- Shireen Farkhoy as Sophie Carter
- Jack Ashton as Toby Hansard
- Oli Higginson as Jack Felton
- Esh Alladi as Khalid Hassan
- Mina Andala as Lyn Cowie
Episodes
This series spans 3 seasons with 12 episodes.
| Season | Episodes | First aired | Last aired |
|---|---|---|---|
| Season 1 | 4 | February 7, 2022 | February 28, 2022 |
| Season 2 | 4 | August 28, 2023 | September 18, 2023 |
| Season 3 | 4 | December 19, 2024 | April 21, 2025 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
The Wages of Sin Stonemason Andrew Knightley is pushed under a London Underground train during the morning rush hour. DI Max Arnold and his partner, DS Priya Shamsie, together build a picture of a lonely, devout, and troubled man who believed a spirit was leaving him vengeful Biblical messages. But the killer is flesh and blood, and a more earthly explanation may be found in the truth of Knightley's life. |
February 7, 2022 |
| 2 |
Mrs Romano This case follows the disappearance of a social media sensation who is married to the owner of an upmarket Chelsea eatery. Soon the investigation turns into a murder investigation and Max finds himself embroiled in explosive family politics. |
February 14, 2022 |
| 3 |
The Gentle Giant A popular security guard is stabbed to death on a patch of waste ground. He leaves behind his terminally ill wife and at first, it appears he died as a result of a drug deal gone wrong. However, as Max and Priya soon realize, nothing is as it seems. |
February 21, 2022 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
The Blue Room When an art gallery manager is strangled during the robbery of an exhibition, it appears he was in the wrong place at the wrong time. But as the team delve into the elite world of Chelsea's art scene, Max soon wonders if the victim was an accomplice. |
August 28, 2023 |
| 2 |
Golden Years A woman at a luxury retirement home dies mysteriously, and with no signs of forced entry, suspicion falls on the staff and residents; tensions within her family point to another cause, harking back to their time in Apartheid-era South Africa. |
September 4, 2023 |
| 3 |
The Reliable Witness The most likely culprit in the murder of a psychotherapist is an ex-patient with a history of erratic behaviour; as the team digs into the therapist's personal life, they uncover disturbing revelations that cast a new light on his killing. |
September 11, 2023 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Everyone Loves Chloe Chloe Carmichael, former popstar and one-time darling of the tabloids, is found dead in her Chelsea mansion flat in the days leading up to Christmas. They first suspect a drug overdose, but forensics soon establishes that Chloe had been drowned in the bath. Max and the team must contend with a string of potential suspects, including her hard-bitten manager, a conniving journalist and a Tory MP. Each of them has a secret connecting them to Chloe, but who was it that killed her? |
December 19, 2024 |
| 2 |
Deadlock When a dead body is unearthed, Max and Layla race to identify the victim. Their investigation takes them from a city estate to the US embassy, where powerful forces stand in their way. They must use every trick up their sleeve to catch the killer. |
April 7, 2025 |
| 3 |
Myths and Legends After antiques dealer Niall Hammond is murdered in his shop, Max and Layla zero in on a rare precious coin he recently purchased. The detectives must decipher the truth as secrets and lies begin to emerge and suspects multiply. |
April 14, 2025 |
Production
Release
| Original network/platform | Acorn TV |
|---|---|
| First aired | February 7, 2022 |
| Last aired | April 21, 2025 |
| Status | continue |
| Schedule | Monday |