This article first appeared in Radio Times magazine.
John Chapel and Janie Mallowan aren’t the most natural duo. He’s a self-indulgent thespian, the former star of hit detective series Caesar; she’s an occasionally childish DI. No wonder they sometimes butt heads as they solve murders in the Welsh Valleys.
But behind the scenes of Death Valley, actors – Timothy Spall and Gwyneth Keyworth – are far less antagonistic. In fact, they’re already planning four series ahead…
Timothy, you don’t normally go in for “returning” roles these days – what made Death Valley different?
TIMOTHY SPALL Initially there was no tied-in option on it and it’s true, I try to avoid them if possible. Earlier on, the team felt that John was a little underdeveloped. Once I came on, I discussed aspects of what an actor’s like, and the nature of the relationship between John and Janie. I think what attracted me to it, is that this was not a one-note thing. It’s developable.
GWYNETH KEYWORTH We’ll imagine ideas for the show. I’ll say, “You tell the producers, I’ll back you!”
Have you grown closer making the series?
GWYNETH Particularly on this series, we got close.
TIMOTHY We rely on each other, and that’s what chemistry is. It’s reliance on two elements coming together and creating something ineffable.
GWYNETH I’m always quizzing him: “Where’s the craziest place you’ve ever filmed?” We all know Harry Potter and Auf Wiedersehen, Pet, but he’s just done so many films. Once he filmed in a jungle with no shoes on!
Did you know each other before you worked together?
GWYNETH No, but I’d worked with Rafe [Spall, Tim’s son] in To Kill a Mockingbird on the West End. When you meet someone nice, you think, your parents are probably nice as well. And I wasn’t disappointed.
TIMOTHY Rafe’s a good actor and good fella! I don’t know where he gets it – must be his mum.
Chapel is a pretentious actor – were you channeling anyone in particular?
TIMOTHY No one’s ever said, “You cheeky bugger. You’ve nicked that from me!” A lot of it is what I could be capable of if I didn’t have a stopper on myself. I’m like: “Bloody hell, you could have this thought, but saying it aloud – you sound like a ponce.”
What are the main differences between you and your characters?
GWYNETH I would be a terrible detective. Even reading the script, when the killer is revealed I’m always shocked. The skill has not translated.
TIMOTHY John and I are both actors, but I do work a lot, and John doesn’t. He’s transferred all of those feelings into trying to explain his techniques.
But like you, Tim, Chapel has graced the cover of Radio Times…
TIMOTHY I’ve got that on my wall actually, alongside my real ones. I’ve got one with me as one of the Three Musketeers, and there’s another one as Fagin. It’s charming – a real accolade.
It’s a very Welsh series – what do the people of Wales make of it?
GWYNETH People seem to really resonate with it. One time, someone had put a mean comment about me on social media: “Her accent is so annoying.” But I could just see all these Welsh people fighting in the comments for me. It was very sweet.
TIMOTHY I had the honour of turning on the Penarth lights last Christmas. A joint effort with the mayor. So they must be tolerating me! It’s a bit like my career: tolerated on a long-term basis.
Death Valley has been called “cosy crime” – what do you make of that?
TIMOTHY I wasn’t familiar with the term. I thought it was a pejorative, but I’ve realised it’s not. People like it because it isn’t about appalling, bleak things. It encapsulates crime, but people are attracted by the warmth of its atmosphere and milieu.
GWYNETH The world’s on fire in lots of ways and I don’t want to ignore that. But I do sometimes think that to have the energy to keep going, you need some sort of respite. Our show means that for 45 minutes, there’s something solvable.
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In this series there have already been murders in a fishing village, a rugby club – what’s next?
TIMOTHY I remember someone in the crew saying, “I want to see Caesar. I want to do a whole episode.” So who knows? If this goes to series six, it might be a Christmas special.
GWYNETH I want there to be a Caesar episode, with Janie in it as a different character! Suddenly she’s got an RP voice, and she’s the plucky, young assistant. I’d also love to see a murder in a male voice choir, or a young farmers’ disco – things from my childhood that feel very quintessentially Welsh.
It’s also, perhaps, a quintessentially BBC series – in our special issue, what’s your take on the Beeb?
TIMOTHY The BBC gets so much stick. It’s always having to defend itself. And it does produce some wonderful things. You get Death Valley. You get the BBC Symphony Orchestra, The Traitors, Half Man. And all for 50p a day! For me, it’s unbelievable.
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Death Valley is available to stream on BBC iPlayer.
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