Miss Scarlet and The Duke is a Victorian-era crime drama from the UK. Eliza Scarlet (Kate Phillips) is a brave and smart lady detective working in the 19th-century London city.
Moreover, the show creator Rachael New has disclosed that the protagonist Eliza Scarlet’s name comes from two literary heroines. The name Eliza comes from Elizabeth Bennet from Pride and Prejudice, and the Scarlet from Scarlett O’Hara from Gone With The Wind, a 1936 novel by Margaret Mitchell.
In addition, some viewers claim that Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries and/or the Amelia Peabody Book Series have inspired the theme of this period spy drama in the UK.
Synopsis (summary) of this 2023 Victorian-era crime drama
When her father dies, Eliza Scarlet (Kate Phillips) finds herself facing a difficult choice. As an unmarried woman, she faces poverty without a husband to provide for her – unless she takes on the challenge of running her late father’s detective agency, which would be unthinkable for a respectable Victorian lady.
Fortunately, she finds an unlikely partner in the unconventional Detective Inspector William Wellington (Stuart Martin) of Scotland Yard, known as “The Duke,” and the pair begin to tackle the crimes and mysteries of Victorian London together. So, Miss Scarlet joins forces with a Scotland Yard Inspector the Duke to solve crime in 19th-century London.
Spoilers free review of Miss Scarlet and The Duke series
Kate Phillips shines brightly as Eliza Scarlet
We loved this period-crime drama about the lady detective Eliza Scarlet (Kate Phillips). She solves crime in 19th century, London, United Kingdom. We watched her character arc grow from strength to strength from season one to season three. In other words, Kate Philips in the role of Detective Scarlet has really shone and charmed her way into the viewers’ hearts.
We also liked the ongoing romantic tension between Miss Scarlet and the Duke’s characters. But, so far, it has not led to anything to write about.
The pioneering lady detective Eliza Scarlet is solving a new crime in each of its episodes. She reminds us of the famous Sherlock Homes character, who practised during the Victorian era, too. In a way, this show has intelligently raised the feminine issues that afflicted the women of that era.
Has a talented bunch of actors & it pays attention to detail
This pioneering period show is about a lady detective, stylishly dressed Eliza Scarlet (Kate Philips). A talented bunch of actors like – plain-speaking William Wellington (Stuart Martin), lovely Ivy (Cathy Belton), hilarious just Moses (Ansu Kabia), old-fashioned Mr Potts (Simon Ludders), newbie Detective Fitzroy (Evan McCabe), determined Patrick Nash (Felix Scott), etc have done well. With their performances, they all keep us engaged in their mysteries.
We liked their attention to various details. They worked hard to get the historical costumes of its characters, the rooms’ decor, the buildings, the horse carts, etc. They have shot this period drama in the capital city of Dublin, Ireland. So, its exterior locations include the unique buildings at Kings Inns & Henrietta Street, and various buildings of the Guinness Brewery in St James’, among many others.
It was an enjoyable show with an interesting storyline in each of its episodes – neither too complex nor too easy a mystery. We eagerly look forward to its upcoming season four.
Given the fact Eliza will be leading a much larger team with access to greater resources, Miss Scarlet might be solving bigger and much more complicated crime cases in future.
Key details of this 2023 Victorian-era crime drama
| Genre | Crime, Drama, Thriller |
| Original language | English (UK) |
| Age-restrictions | TV-14 |
| Season one particulars | Six (6) Episodes – March to May 2020 {1st Season) |
| Season two particulars | Six (6) Episodes – June to July 2022 (2nd Season) |
| Season three particulars | Six (6) Episodes – January to February 2023 (3rd Season) |
| Creator | Rachael New |
| Cast | Kate Phillips (Eliza Scarlet), Stuart Martin (William Wellington), Cathy Belton (Ivy), Ansu Kabia (Moses), Simon Ludders (Mr Potts), Evan McCabe (Detective Fitzroy), Felix Scott (Patrick Nash), Tim Chipping (DS Phelps), etc. |
| Networks | ALIBI {Please note:- UK production partner, Alibi, is actually a relatively minor crime-themed niche channel broadcasting in the UK & Ireland. } Masterpiece PBS |
Poster of this 2023 Victorian-era crime drama
Spoilers alert from this 2023 Victorian-era crime drama
Let’s peek into its episodes across three seasons
1. Inheritance
When Eliza Scarlett’s father dies suddenly, she’s faced with a stark choice. Accept the fact she is now penniless or take on and run her father’s detective business or she is obliged to find a male business partner to operate in Victorian London, but can she succeed against all the odds in this male-dominated world?
2. The Woman in Red
Eliza takes a seemingly impossible case: proving the innocence of a man found at a murder scene with a bloodied knife in his hand, who has already pleaded guilty.
3. Deeds Not Words
Scotland Yard has its eye on potentially disruptive gangs and political groups. Eliza is hired by The Duke to go undercover and infiltrate one such group. However, Eliza goes beyond her instructions after she is hired for an undercover job to spy on a group of suffragettes.
4. Memento Mori
Eliza is hired by a Death Photographer (who takes post-mortem portraits), who is receiving bizarre and threatening messages from beyond the grave and later makes a surprising discovery about her late father. Eliza’s investigation takes her into the spirit world.
5. Cell 99
The final entry in her father – Henry Scarlet’s casebook takes Eliza and Duke to a seemingly abandoned prison on the outskirts of London. While searching for the details about her father’s fate, Eliza and the Duke stumble upon a criminal enterprise in an abandoned prison.
6. The Case of Henry Scarlet
Eliza pieces the puzzle together to find out what happened to her father. Moses has lots of criminal connections, which makes him a suspect during the investigation, but it could turn out to be someone who has been under the Duke’s nose. With the help of the Duke and Moses, Eliza tries to solve the case of Henry Scarlet.
1. Pandora’s Box
The sister of a missing woman hires Eliza to find her, but the case is already closed by the police — creating new tensions between Eliza and the Duke.
2. The Black Witch Moth
A valuable sketch by the deceased Charles Darwin has been stolen, and Eliza is hired by an insurance company to find it, but a twist soon emerges.
3. A Pauper’s Grave
Eliza is forced into hiding when she becomes the prime suspect in a series of break-ins at city morgues; while Duke tries to find other suspects, Eliza turns to Moses for help.
4. Angel of Inferno
Eliza is hired to solve a case of blackmail in the shady world of Victorian medicine and finds herself with a new rival-Patrick Nash, the owner of a large private detective agency who wants to hire her or crush her agency.
5. Quarter to Midnight
A famous mystery writer is at the centre of Eliza’s investigation when a series of murders copy scenes from his books. Meanwhile, the Duke is also juggling problems at work with a new superintendent and a troubled young detective.
6. The Proposal
While Eliza and the Duke struggle around the edges of their relationship, private investigator Nash is shot just as Eliza agrees to work with him. As Eliza and Moses work to solve the attempted murder, they realise Eliza is the target.
1. The Vanishing
A famous magician does the ultimate disappearing act and vanishes into thin air. All of London is talking about the mystery and Eliza is hired by a newspaper to investigate the disappearance of a famous magician, even though the Duke is already on the case.
2. Arabella
Eliza bumps into her childhood rival Arabella Herbert, the girl who made her life a misery growing up. But Arabella seems kind and considerate, everybody loves her. So when Eliza suspects she may be a criminal, no one wants to hear it, least of all Duke.
3. Hotel St. Marc
Eliza is on the trail of a notorious con man and tracks him down to a hotel in a remote part of France. She believes she has finally caught Scotland Yard’s most wanted man, but she’s not the only hotel guest who wants to claim the reward.
4. Bloodline
Detective Fitzroy sees one of his colleagues plant evidence on a suspect. With Duke away, Fitzroy turns to Eliza and hires her to look into a case of police corruption.
5. The Heir
Eliza is on the verge of earning life-changing money finding the heir to an unclaimed fortune. It’s a race to claim the money and Eliza will need Duke’s help, but a revelation about his personal life makes working together impossible.
6. The Jewel of the North
Season three comes to an explosive climax when Eliza receives a bomb in the morning post. Who sent it and why? Eliza teams up with Duke, Moses and her old enemy Patrick Nash to find out who is behind the deadly delivery.
Teaser, trailer, & preview of this 2023 Victorian-era crime drama
FM’s ratings of this 2023 Victorian-era crime drama
| S1/2020 | S2/2022 | S3/2023 | |
| FM’s ratings | 3.90/5 | 3.95/5 | 4.00/5 |
If you like this periodic drama set in 19th-century London, United Kingdom, then read our article about the historic Peaky Blinders show in our Focus Magazine, too.
Featured Images and Posters of Miss Scarlet and The Duke Series are courtesy of ALIBI and Masterpiece PBS.