As an Unforgotten fan herself, actor Sinéad Keenan was well aware of the boots she was filling by stepping into the role of the new DCI. And as if that wasn’t enough of a hurdle for her character DCI Jessica James, less than an hour before her first day at work, Jess’s husband Steve drops some shattering news. Sinéad joins the podcast this week to reflect on some of the challenges her character faces and how she approached playing the bristly and complex Jessica James.
Sep 11, 2023•27 min
At the end of Season 4 of Unforgotten DCI Cassie Stuart, played by Nicola Walker, tragically died in a car accident, sending shockwaves out to the other characters, actors, and viewers alike. But Sunny Khan is hit especially hard, given his close working relationship with Cassie. Sanjeev Bhaskar joins us to discuss how Sunny deals with this change, and what struggles and triumphs might lie ahead for his character this season.
Sep 04, 2023•25 min
Warning: This episode contains spoilers for Episode One of 'Little Women'. This is an encore release of an earlier podcast episode. Dame Angela Lansbury was an acting icon for more than 75 years. Her credits spanned from Gaslight, Mame, and Murder, She Wrote to Beauty and the Beast and Little Women. She died in October 2022, and left behind a rich legacy of characters that are as iconic and memorable as the actor herself. As PBS re-broadcasts MASTERPIECE’s 2018 production of Little Women , we th...
Aug 28, 2023•40 min
WARNING: This episode contains spoilers for the series finale of Endeavour . For over a decade, lead actor Shaun Evans has starred as Endeavour Morse. We’ve watched him transform from the young, talented and eager Morse, into the gruff, solitary, and brilliant Morse character portrayed by John Thaw in the original Inspector Morse series. As this series draws to a satisfying conclusion, Shaun Evans joins us to reflect on this final season, and why it felt like the right time to say goodbye to End...
Jul 03, 2023•21 min
After 11 years of murder, mystery, and mystifying crossword puzzles, we’ve come to the final season of Endeavour . This episode is from a live conversation our host, Jace Lacob, had with Morse himself — star, director and producer Shaun Evans — during PBS’s virtual Endeavour event.
Jun 19, 2023•34 min
WARNING: This episode contains spoilers for Endeavour Seasons 1-8. As Endeavour fans will know, this show packs its fair share of clever and unpredictable details into every episode. So, let’s make sure we’re all caught up on every clue, every chance meeting, and every furtive glance as we gear up for the final season of Endeavour on this special recap episode of MASTERPIECE Studio.
Jun 12, 2023•30 min
WARNING: This episode contains spoilers for Tom Jones episode 4. Solly McLeod joins the podcast to discuss his meteoric rise as an actor and how he relates to his Tom Jones character, as we bid a fond farewell to this joyful coming-of-age love story.
May 22, 2023•27 min
Honour Newton isn’t your typical lady’s maid. She’s outspoken and frank, but always provides unwavering support to her lovesick mistress Sophia Western, despite some very uncomfortable situations. Actor Pearl Mackie joins the podcast to discuss how her Tom Jones character strikes a balance between honesty and duty.
May 15, 2023•30 min
Tom Jones co-star Sophie Wilde reflects on what it means for her character, Sophia Western, to take charge of her own journey in defiance of her family—and society's expectations—in pursuit of her one true love.
May 08, 2023•29 min
Gwyneth Hughes is no stranger to serious period dramas, but wanted to try something more lighthearted and romantic. Hughes discusses the decisions and joys of adapting Henry Fielding’s 1,000-page, deeply human, mother of all rom coms into four episodes of pure sunshine.
May 01, 2023•31 min
Warning: This episode contains spoilers for Episode Six of the Third Season of Sanditon . After three dramatic seasons, the series finale of Sanditon brings the story of Jane Austen’s unfinished final novel to a satisfying conclusion. Rose Williams and Crystal Clarke discuss the resolution of Charlotte Heywood’s and Georgiana Lambe’s stories and reflect on what this series has meant to them as actors.
Apr 24, 2023•42 min
Warning: This episode contains spoilers for Episode Five of the Third Season of Sanditon. Mary Parker has steadfastly supported the dreams of her visionary husband, Tom, but when his vision for Sanditon collides with Mary’s belief in what is right and just, she can support him no longer. Actor Kate Ashfield joins the podcast to discuss how Mary Parker finds her voice by pushing against Tom’s intolerable plans.
Apr 17, 2023•32 min
Warning: This episode contains spoilers for Episode Three of the Third Season of Sanditon. Georgiana Lambe’s fortune has proven to be a blessing and a curse. While it provides her with safety and independence, it is also a magnet for fortune hunters and gossip mongers. In this interview, Crystal Clarke reveals some of the challenges Georgiana confronts as she defends not only her wealth, but also her identity.
Apr 03, 2023•27 min
It’s been anything but smooth sailing for Charlotte Heywood since she first arrived in Sanditon. After experiencing heartbreak twice, she returns to the seaside resort this time with her childhood friend and fiancé, Ralph Starling. Actor Rose Williams joins us to discuss Charlotte’s pursuit of self-discovery as we kick off this third and final season of Sanditon.
Mar 20, 2023•27 min
Warning: This episode contains spoilers for Episode Seven of the Third Season of All Creatures Great and Small. At the end of the third season of All Creatures Great and Small , World War II has finally come to the Yorkshire Dales. Series leads Rachel Shenton and Nicholas Ralph reflect on their characters’ first season as a married couple, and anticipate what the arrival of war will mean for the Dales — and for the Herriots themselves.
Feb 20, 2023•36 min
Warning: This episode contains spoilers for Episode Six of the Third Season of Miss Scarlet and The Duke . As a title character in Miss Scarlet and The Duke , William ‘Duke’ Wellington has a remarkably poor crime solving rate when compared to his amateur friend and colleague, Eliza Scarlet. But Stuart Martin assures viewers that the Duke is solving 100% of the crimes you don’t see him investigate, just off screen — not including the mystery of his love life, that is....
Feb 13, 2023•36 min
Warning: This episode contains spoilers for Episode Five of the Third Season of All Creatures Great and Small . The character of Mrs. Hall is knowing, and quick and quietly competent, but there’s much about her viewers still don’t know. Until this week, that is. In a gripping new episode, we learn the backstory of her long estrangement from her son, and Anna Madeley reveals how that story came to the screen.
Feb 06, 2023•37 min
Warning: This episode contains spoilers for Episode Four of the Third Season of Miss Scarlet and the Duke. Ivy Woods is Eliza Scarlet’s surrogate mother, best friend and biggest critic. But thanks to Eliza, Ivy’s seen new possibilities for women in the Victorian Era, which is a thrilling journey for actor Cathy Belton to chart. Belton traces Ivy’s arc in the last three seasons, and looks ahead to what’s in store for the sharp-tongued housekeeper.
Jan 30, 2023•37 min
Warning: This episode contains spoilers for Episode Three of the Third Season of Miss Scarlet and the Duke. Miss Scarlet and the Duke series creator, head writer and executive producer Rachael New has a new title to add to her hyphenated list of roles on the show — director! In this third episode of the third season, New stepped up and swept in to the director's chair in a charming jewel box of a bottle episode. New explains how she found the courage to take on the job, and what she learned from...
Jan 23, 2023•34 min
Warning: This episode contains spoilers for Episode Two of the Third Season of All Creatures Great and Small*.* On any given episode of All Creatures Great and Small, a wide variety of animals pass through the scene with injured hooves or damaged snouts. It's up to animal handlers like Jill Clark, of 1st Choice Animals, to train those furry guest stars to sit still, lie down or play dead — which she does to great effect. Clark explains the hidden human touch required behind the scenes to bring a...
Jan 16, 2023•29 min
Warning: This episode contains spoilers for Episode One of the Third Season of All Creatures Great and Small. It took two seasons of television — and a lot more besides — but Nicholas Ralph’s James Herriot has finally tied the knot with Rachel Shenton’s Helen Alderson. It’s a real highlight of the third season, and one Ralph and his castmates cherished all the more with the presence of real-life James Herriot's children, Rosie and Jim.
Jan 09, 2023•26 min
Warning: This episode contains spoilers for Episode Six of Magpie Murders. We’re of course bound to remind listeners not to listen to episodes like this until they watch all of the related Mystery! series — but after you do, you’ll definitely want to come back. Magpie Murders creator, writer and executive producer Anthony Horowitz and series star Lesley Manville return to the podcast to discuss the surprising finale, and perhaps even give Susan Ryeland and Atticus Pünd fans something to look for...
Nov 21, 2022•30 min
Warning: The episode contains spoilers for episode five of Magpie Murders. Actor Tim McMullan had worked with author and screenwriter Anthony Horowitz before, but never on a title as wild as the adaptation of his own Magpie Murders. As Atticus Pünd — a fictional detective who solves murders both real and imaginary — McMullan has great fun gently ribbing the classic whodunnit format.
Nov 14, 2022•32 min
Warning: This episode contains spoilers for Episode Five of the First Season of Miss Scarlet and the Duke*.* This is an encore release of an earlier podcast episode. A female private detective in Victorian London seems anachronistic — but Eliza Scarlet more than holds her own on the grimy streets of the British capitol. Kate Phillips is a witty delight in the title role, and she brings that zest to the MASTERPIECE Studio podcast.
Nov 07, 2022•31 min
Warning: This episode contains spoilers for Episode Three of the Second Season of Miss Scarlet and the Duke. The witty banter and serialized crime-of-the-week format of Miss Scarlet and the Duke give viewers a regular pivot between the expected and the extraordinary. That span was exactly what series creator and executive producer Rachael New aimed for when she put together the show, and she explains the origin story and looks ahead in a new conversation.
Oct 30, 2022•40 min
Warning: This episode contains spoilers for episode two of Magpie Murders. Lesley Manville is in high demand lately for her excellent work on screen, so it seems only fitting that she come to the MASTERPIECE screen in the role of brilliant editor Susan Ryeland in the twisty mystery of Magpie Murders. Manville explores what drew her to the role, and where she stands in her storied career.
Oct 24, 2022•39 min
Warning: This episode contains spoilers for Episode One of Magpie Murders. Anthony Horowitz has written dozen of books and scores of television dramas in his lengthy career, but the task of transforming his meta mystery novel, Magpie Murders — a crime novel about writing and publishing crime novels — was especially tricky. Fortunately for MASTERPIECE viewers, the resulting series is a delight, and the author explains the tricky choices he made to bring Susan Ryeland and Atticus Pünd to the scree...
Oct 17, 2022•35 min
Warning: This episode contains spoilers for Episode Six of the Seventh Season of Grantchester . As the seventh season of Grantchester comes to a surprisingly satisfying close, fans can be assured that the eighth season of the series is just over the horizon. Series creator and head writer Daisy Coulam and series lead — and director! — Tom Brittney return to the podcast to wrap up and look ahead .
Aug 15, 2022•37 min
Warning: This episode contains spoilers for Episode Five of the Seventh Season of Grantchester . The stubborn Mrs. C — Sylvia Chapman — is a centerpiece of the Grantchester family. Her unexpected medical troubles this seventh season leave her and the entire vicarage at a loss. Fortunately, Tessa Peake-Jones is more than able to find the emotional center of her character's difficult moments.
Aug 08, 2022•40 min
Warning: This episode contains spoilers for Episode Four of the Seventh Season of Grantchester . There's a rotating cast of murderers — and murder victims — on every episode of Grantchester . But where do the actors come from who populate the Cambridgeshire rogues’ gallery? Longtime series casting director Alex Irwin reveals how she casts a show.
Aug 01, 2022•27 min
