“More watchable than Unforgotten”: Why The Chelsea Detective’s “glorious” fourth series is unmissable viewing

Chelsea is renowned for being an affluent London borough, with beautiful town houses whose owners are most likely have a designer dog – to go with their designer bags. But The Chelsea Detective shows us a darker side to the upmarket neighbourhood – and the new series promises to be unmissable viewing with feature-length episodes untangling four different murders. If you’re waiting for the arrival of Unforgotten series 7 – this is the perfect replacement option and, dare we say it, is even more watchable.

Like Unforgotten’s sleuthing double-act DCI Jessica James and DI Sunny Khan, The Chelsea Detective introduces us to a dynamic duo – Detective Inspector Max Arnold (Adrian Scarborough) and Detective Sergeant Layla Walsh (Vanessa Emme). But DI Arnold is an outsider in the elite bubble. After a marital breakdown sees him living on a tattered Thames houseboat, this unconventional living situation doesn’t deter him from cracking a slew of mystifying murder cases. The first three series were gripping, and we predict the upcoming fourth series will be nothing short of glorious.

With series 4 hitting our screens this summer, here’s everything you need to know about The Chelsea Detective, including the plot, cast and how to watch it.

What is The Chelsea Detective about?

Unsurprisingly, The Chelsea Detective tells the story of misfit Detective Inspector Max Arnold (Adrian Scarborough), a detective who works in the fancy west London borough of Chelsea – but he’s not like the wealthy residents he helps. We first meet him residing in a ramshackle houseboat after separating from his art dealer wife Astrid (Anamaria Marinca).

The first series, which first aired in 2022, follows Max and his partner, Streatham-born D.C. Priya Shamsie (Sonita Henry) cracking an assortment of cases – from the disappearance of a popular influencer to the murder of a stonemason on the London Underground.

Series 2 brings a new co-lead, the straight-talking Detective Sergeant Layla Walsh (Vanessa Emme) who arrives in the capital from Devon, and they take on even more captivating cases – such as an art gallery robbery that ends with a fatality. The pair reunited again in 2024 for series 3, ramping up with another trail of twisty cases, including the death of an antiques dealer, and a conspiracy linked to a dead climate scientist.

What is The Chelsea Detective series 4 about?

Series 4 will see Vanessa and Max reprise their roles and take on four more murder mysteries across four feature-length episodes. There’s a cryptic double-murder that leads the investigation out of Chelsea and into the apparently cut-throat world of architecture (who knew?). Elsewhere, we meet a wellness and beauty salon owner hiding deadly secrets and a dark aristocratic dynasty. But it’s not all doom and gloom, between the criminal sprees, there’s some romance in store for Max!

‘The Chelsea Detective began during lockdown in a world of social distancing and Covid tests. It’s amazing to think that we’re about the start filming the fourth series,’ Peter Fincham, a creator and executive producer told AMC. ‘Max Arnold, Layla Walsh and their colleagues continue to discover different and surprising sides of Chelsea. It’s the perfect location for a detective series and there’s so much more to come, all thanks to the brilliant team on both sides of the camera,’ he added.

Who’s in the cast of The Chelsea Detective?

The cast for The Chelsea Detective includes:

• Adrian Scarborough (Killing Eve, The King’s Speech, 1917) as Detective Inspector Max Arnold
• Vanessa Emme (Dublin Murders, Three Families) as Detective Sergeant Layla Walsh
• Sophie Stone (Shetland) Chief Forensics Officer Ashley Wilton
• Lucy Phelps (Grace) as DC Jess Lombard
• Peter Bankolé (Peaky Blinders) as DC Connor Pollock
• Frances Barber (Whitstable Pearl) as Max’s Aunt Olivia

Is there a trailer for The Chelsea Detective?

Yes – you can watch the trailer for The Chelsea Detective series 4 below.

View full post on YouTube

Is The Chelsea Detective any good?

Yes – if you’re a fan of cosy crime dramas such as Vera and Death In Paradise, you’re going to want to add this to your list. While it’s certainly not a gory thriller, it’s a comforting British detective drama with endearing leads who start to feel like friends, paired with the charming backdrop of Chelsea that kept us watching – as well as the unpredictable twists!

How can I watch The Chelsea Detective?

Series 4 of The Chelsea Detective will premiere on Acorn TV on Monday 3 August, with a new episode airing weekly until Monday 24 August. You can catch up with the first three series now on U.

What other cosy crime dramas can I watch now?

If you’re after another alluring setting for some equally riveting murder mysteries, we’d point you towards Netflix’s High Seas, where we meet two sisters, Eva and Carolina, who board a ship setting sail from Spain to Brazil in the 1940s. But behind the decadent façade are a series of mystifying murders they’re left to unravel. You can watch High Seas now on Netflix. If you’re after something equally as cosy, we’d point you towards Hudson & Rex. Detective Charlie Hudson (John Reardon) of the St John’s Major Crimes Unit and his impressive canine sidekick, German Shepherd Rex, team up to solve crimes – and they make quite the formidable duo. Hudson & Rex is available to stream now on U.