We might not be fully ready to move on from the shocking departure of Stuart Martin as William “The Duke” Wellington. But Miss Scarlet and the Duke, now simply titled Miss Scarlet, appears to be! Now we’re getting our first glimpse of the show’s new leading man.
On Thursday, Masterpiece PBS announced that Tom Durant Pritchard is joining the cast of Miss Scarlet. He’ll be playing Alexander Blake, “a handsome former soldier and respected detective inspector who joins the force at Scotland Yard to replace William “The Duke” Wellington who has gone to America.”
Who Is Tom Durant Pritchard?
Durant Pritchard has been a reliable presence in supporting roles on British TV for years. His notable roles include Billy Wallace on The Crown, Prince Harry (replacing Richard Goulding) on The Windsors, and Hugh on Feel Good. Recently, he also co-starred as Greg on the miniseries This Is Going to Hurt and as Jason in Baby Reindeer.
Durant Pritchard said in a statement to Masterpiece, “I am thrilled to be joining the team and to become part of the Scarlet family. Working with Kate has been a dream and she’s been so welcoming.”
Miss Scarlet Limited’s Patty Lenahan Ishimoto said, “Rachael and Ben, our talented writers, have crafted yet another captivating character in Alexander Blake and Tom brings him to life brilliantly. He is generous with his wit and charm and truly a welcome addition to the team.”
Susanne Simpson, Executive Producer of Masterpiece, also said, “I can’t wait for the Miss Scarlet fans to meet Alexander Blake and see how he and Eliza will get along. We’re so fortunate to have found Tom Durant Pritchard – he’s the perfect Inspector Blake.”
‘Miss Scarlet’ Season 5: What We Know So Far
The press release introducing Durant Pritchard reveals a few key details. First and foremost, we can all breathe a sigh of relief: William is apparently alive and well! As many predicted, he’ll simply remain off-screen via his new American job.
We also learned a little bit more about how Blake and Eliza (Kate Phillips) will interact. As Masterpiece describes it: “Shortly after he starts his new job, he meets private detective Miss Eliza Scarlet. He’s not particularly shocked by a woman working as a private eye, so Eliza takes this to mean she’ll be given more cases. But their relationship gets off to a rocky start since Blake has decided not to allow private detectives to aid in his investigations. As Blake and Miss Scarlet cross paths at various crime scenes across London, they can’t help but develop mutual respect for one another, and perhaps even an attraction.”
Other cast members slated to return include Evan McCabe as Detective Fitzroy, Cathy Belton as Ivy, Felix Scott as Patrick Nash, Paul Bazely as Clarence, Simon Ludders as Mr. Potts, and Tim Chipping as Detective Phelps. Filming for Miss Scarlet Season 5 is currently underway.
What do you think of Miss Scarlet’s new leading man? Let us know in the comments!
