This article does not contain specific whodunit spoilers, but will tease the stories about character development

Marlow Crime Club is a welcome addition to the MASTERPIECE tradition of female investigators who outsmart the police—and in some cases, fellow officers—to bring the wronged to justice. Not only does the series show three women using their life experiences and observations, but most importantly, it shows that the English village mystery genre can include characters from the black and Asian diaspora without resorting to tokenism.

Although Suzie was not the first to join the case, Jo Martin’s character plays an essential role in finding one of the victims and leading the police to the right conclusion. Her job as a dog walker 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.

Inspector Ellis and Mrs. Sidhu Researchboth on Acorn TV, take Marlow’s setup further by centering older black and South Asian women as the main characters. interestingly enough, UNFORGETTABLE is the common denominator that links these series to the MASTERPIECE family.

Steffan Hill/AcornTV

UNFORGETTABLE guest star Sharon D. Clarke stars as Inspector Ellis. She specializes in supervising and assisting smaller police stations in Northern Ireland in complex homicide and missing persons cases. She’s often the only black woman in the room, and that drives the corrupt, mediocre white cops crazy. Her only loyalty is to 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.

AcornTV

Mrs. Sidhu Research stars Meera Syal as the perpetually curious catering company owner turned private detective. Although Syal has yet to appear on MASTERPIECE, she has a personal connection with unforgettable, as she is married to Sanjeev Bhaskar. Ms Sidhu’s catering business allows her access to the workplaces of both victims and potential suspects. In a similar situation with Marlow’s girl gang, local cop DCI Burton (Craig Parkinson) can’t bear to be outdone by someone outside the police and is aggressive in blocking Ms Sidhu from solving problems. Some may call her nosy, but her powers of observation, as well as familiarity with the police through her father, make private detective work a great side hustle between catering gigs.

Mrs. Sidhu investigates and Inspector Ellis both have creators and writers who draw inspiration from their life experiences and their communities to make the main characters authentic. Suk Pannu, who created Mrs. Sidhu investigates, he also created the famous British sitcom
The Kumars at number 42. Inspector EllisThe writing team had Sian Ejiwunmi-Le Berre, who GBH Drama interviewed earlier this year for their other project
Crime is easy.

There are some thematic elements that all three shows have in common. First, all 3 series show that age is an issue for non-white women as well, a narrative that sometimes gets lost in the conversation. Suzie, Ellis, and Mrs. Sidhu all have experiences of being told to conform to the stereotypes of their age group instead of helping to stop criminals. Secondly, all three series show Black and South Asian Britons living outside the UK’s biggest cities. Mrs. Sidhu Research it’s set in Slough, which is more of a suburb than Marlow or the Welsh countryside, but it’s still a type of community that’s underrepresented in many other mystery dramas. Third, motherhood and marital status are not the main defining elements of these characters. Becks’ children are younger than Suzie’s daughter, but both may have lives outside of parenthood. Ellis has a daughter who lives far away and wants to connect. Mrs Sidhu’s son Tez lives with her and is a Millennial in a career crisis. Judith and Mrs. Sidhu are both widowed, while Ellis and Suzie’s relationship status is never mentioned. Their experiences inform how they approach problem solving or observation, but they do not take control.

Could MASTERPIECE take Marlow’s concept one step further in a future series? Yes, despite the many variables in UK television production these days. Procedurals and mysteries remain a popular genre and DI Ray already shares a thematic overlap with Inspector Ellis. The challenge isn’t casting, it’s matching MASTERPIECE’s high standards of writing and production quality with the appeal of the lighter, edgier side of the mystery genre. Regarding these three programs, right now, both Mrs. Both Sidhu Investigates and Inspector Ellis each have a single season with production on future episodes awaiting the green light. Marlow Crime Club has already been renewed for a second season.

Marlow Crime Club is currently streaming on PBS Passport. Inspector Ellis and Mrs. Sidhu Research is currently airing on Acorn TV.