Death Valley stars Timothy Spall and Gwyneth Keyworth tease “deeper” Chapel and Janie relationship in season 2

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Inside a dimly lit police station in South Wales, consultant John Chapel and Detective Inspector Janie Mallowan are questioning a suspect in a murder case. They have solid evidence and a very accurate psychological profile of the person, so they’re confident they’ll quickly solve the crime.

Filming for ‘Death Valley’ requires another attempt – cut! While actors Timothy Spall and Gwyneth Keyworth wait, the crew restarts the smoke machine to simulate a scorching summer day inside the Trebach Police Station. Despite the scene’s heat, it’s actually a cold November morning on set, located within Roath Lock Studios in Cardiff. The set is fully built with everything a police station would have – hallways, stairs, interview rooms, a CCTV control room, and offices. There’s even a working vending machine stocked with snacks that the cast frequently enjoys.

Let me tell you, this Chapel fellow has a home. It’s a charming cottage absolutely brimming with souvenirs from his acting days – I spotted a BAFTA and, get this, two framed covers from TopMob magazine when he was huge on TV with a show called Caesar. It really paints a picture of a guy who appreciates the finer things in life, a man of definite taste.

Timothy Spall praised John’s cottage as incredibly realistic, telling RT that it truly felt like a genuine location. He even shared he displays the Caesar cover – along with his two actual RT covers – on his wall. Spall added that the cottage’s authenticity is a testament to the skill of the entire production team, as it perfectly matched its exterior appearance.

Gwyneth Keyworth, who plays Mallowan, says it’s easy to forget they’re filming on a set. She’s sometimes surprised while walking around, realizing things like the stairs don’t actually lead anywhere – they just stop at a certain point.

The detectives, Chapel and Mallowan, find themselves caught up in a murder mystery during filming for the fifth episode of the new series, which premieres on BBC One this Sunday. Everyone is stuck at the police training station until they can crack the case.

Series creator Paul Doolan describes the show as a modern take on classic mystery stories like Agatha Christie’s ‘And Then There Were None.’ The show openly acknowledges its inspiration from Christie – the main character’s last name is even a nod to Christie’s second husband – but ‘Death Valley’ has ultimately established itself as a unique and successful series in its own right.

The show quickly became a hit when it first aired last year, achieving the highest overnight ratings for a BBC comedy in five years. It’s since gained international popularity – so much so that actor Timothy Spall was recently recognized by three fans while visiting New York.

Rithvik Andugula, who plays DC Evan Chaudhry in the series, says he’s enjoyed watching it with family and friends, and believes it’s something anyone can enjoy, according to RT.

Steffan Rhodri, who plays DCI Barry Clarke, was surprised by how popular the show became internationally. He’s seen this happen before with Welsh television – his role as Dave Coaches in the hit sitcom Gavin & Stacey also gained a large following.

Because ‘Gavin & Stacey’ was so popular, people often recognize me from that show. However, in my daily life, I actually resemble my character, Clarke, more than Dave Coaches – mainly because I don’t have the mustache Dave Coaches has! Now, people are starting to know me better as Clarke.

Now that the first series was a hit, the challenge is creating a successful second one. But writer Doolan isn’t worried. He explains that the first series needed to establish how Chapel and Janie began working together to solve crimes. Now that Chapel is officially a police consultant, the second series can move forward without needing to explain their partnership in every episode.

Creating the second series felt both overwhelming and freeing, according to Doolan. Because the groundwork was already laid, and they understood what worked and what didn’t, it was a much smoother process.

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This year’s mysteries range from killings in charming coastal villages and modern communes to incidents at the local rugby club. The most intriguing case, however, takes place on the set of a major new Netflix series inspired by Welsh legends – The Mabinogion – giving Detective Inspector Chapel a chance to showcase his acting skills while investigating.

According to Keyworth, this season is both funnier and more intense. Chapel and Janie are both imperfect, and they’re increasingly aware of each other’s weaknesses, particularly as their relationship grows more complex.

Spall describes their connection as unique. Despite a significant age difference – around 30 or 40 years – they don’t behave like people from different generations. Instead, he says they relate to each other more like siblings than a traditional parent-child or uncle-niece relationship.

“It’s an odd cocktail that really, on the face of it, shouldn’t work – but somehow it does!”

Death Valley returns on Sunday 17 May at 8:15pm on BBC One and iPlayer.

Authors

Huw FullertonCommissioning Editor

I’m a big fan of film and TV, and I actually work as an editor for TopMob magazine. I get to spend my days looking at all sorts of entertainment – comedy is a particular passion, but I also cover more niche dramatic series too. Basically, I help decide what great content gets featured!

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2026-05-11 19:37