This article does not contain specific whodunit spoilers but will tease character development storylines
The Marlow Murder Club is a welcome addition to the MASTERPIECE tradition of female investigators outsmarting the police — and in some cases, fellow officers — to bring wrongdoers to justice. Not only does the series show three women using their life experiences and observations, but most importantly, it shows that the small English village mystery genre can include Black and Asian diaspora characters without resorting to tokenization.
While Suzie was not the first to join the case, Jo Martin’s character plays a critical role in finding one of the victims and leading the police towards the correct conclusion. Her job as a dogwalker allows her to connect with the people of Marlow and their pets. Susie didn’t expect to find new friends and a new adventure at first, but by the end of the season, she has a lot to look forward to.
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Inspector Ellis and Mrs. Sidhu Investigates, both on Acorn TV, take Marlow’s setup further by centering older Black and South Asian women as the main characters. Interestingly enough, Unforgotten is the common denominator linking these series to the MASTERPIECE family.
Unforgotten guest star Sharon D. Clarke stars as Inspector Ellis. She specializes in supervising and assisting smaller Northern Irish police stations with complex murder and missing persons cases. Often she is the only Black woman in the room, and this makes corrupt and mediocre white cops mad. Her only loyalty is to the truth and ethical policing. Inspector Ellis is willing to share her years of experience with her fellow officers, but they must let their guard down.
Mrs. Sidhu Investigates stars Meera Syal as the titular perpetually curious catering company owner turned private sleuth. While Syal hasn’t yet appeared on MASTERPIECE, she has a personal connection to Unforgotten, as she’s married to Sanjeev Bhaskar. Mrs. Sidhu’s catering business allows her to gain access to the workplaces of both victims and potential suspects. In a similar situation to Marlow’s girl gang, local cop DCI Burton (Craig Parkinson) cannot abide being outsmarted by someone from outside the police, and is aggressive about blocking Mrs. Sidhu from solving the whodunnits. Some may call her nosy but her powers of observation, as well as familiarity with policing via her father, make private detective work a great side hustle in between catering gigs.
Mrs Sidhu Investigates and Inspector Ellis both have creators and screenwriters who draw from their life experiences and communities to make the main characters authentic. Suk Pannu, who created Mrs. Sidhu Investigates, also created the famous British sitcom The Kumars At Number 42. Inspector Ellis’ writing team had Sian Ejiwunmi-Le Berre, who GBH Drama interviewed earlier this year for their other project Murder Is Easy.
There are a few thematic elements that all three shows have in common. First, all 3 series show that ageism is also a problem for non-white women, a narrative that is sometimes lost in the conversation. Suzie, Ellis, and Mrs. Sidhu all have experiences where they’re told to conform to stereotypes of their age group rather than helping to stop murderers. Second, all three series show Black and South Asian Brits living outside of the UK’s largest cities. Mrs. Sidhu Investigates takes place in Slough, which is more of a suburb than Marlow or the Welsh villages, but is still a type of community that is underrepresented in many other mystery dramas. Third, motherhood and marital status are not the main elements that define these characters. Becks’ kids are younger than Suzie’s daughter, but both can have lives outside of parenthood. Ellis has a daughter who lives far away and she wants to reconnect. Mrs. Sidhu’s son Tez lives with her and is a Millennial in a career crisis. Judith and Mrs. Sidhu are both widows while Ellis and Suzie’s relationship status are never mentioned. Their experiences inform how they approach solving problems or observing, but don’t take over.
Could MASTERPIECE take Marlow’s concept one step further in a future series? Yes, despite the numerous variables in UK television production these days. Procedurals and mysteries remain a popular genre, and D.I. Ray already shares some thematic overlap with Inspector Ellis. The challenge isn’t with casting, it’s matching MASTERPIECE’s high standards in writing and production quality with the appeal to the lighter, “cozier” side of the mystery genre. As for these three programs, right now, both Mrs. Sidhu Investigates and Inspector Ellis each only have one season with production on future episodes waiting for a green light. The Marlow Murder Club has already been renewed for a second season.
The Marlow Murder Club is currently streaming on PBS Passport. Inspector Ellis and Mrs. Sidhu Investigates is currently streaming on Acorn TV.
