Two Episodes Will Air Back-to-Back Every Saturday Night During Mystery Alley
Ovation TV, America’s premier arts network, will begin airing four seasons of the beloved British detective series Shakespeare & Hathaway: Private Investigators next month. Starring Mark Benton as the hard-boiled Frank Hathaway and Jo Joyner as his rookie sidekick Lu Shakespeare, the series was created by Paul Matthew Thompson (Vera, Doctors) and Jude Tindall (Father Brown, Doctors). Two episodes will air back-to-back every Saturday night during Ovation TV’s Mystery Alley programming destination. Season One premieres on Ovation TV on Saturday, June 24 at 7pm ET, while Season Two premieres on Saturday, July 29 at 7pm ET.
Bride-to-be Luella Shakespeare believes her future husband Clive Brenton (Nigel Whitmey) is unfaithful and approaches shabby private eye and ex-policeman Frank Hathaway. Joining with Frank and his assistant Sebastian (Patrick Walshe McBride), she uncovers Clive’s shady past and proves her own sleuthing skills. The unlikely pair forms a partnership as they investigate extramarital affairs, murderous magicians, abducted au pairs, and more in Stratford-upon-Avon and Warwickshire. Despite their constant disagreements, the duo makes a good team in this action-packed, fun-filled comedic drama.
Episode descriptions plus airdates and times are below:
Episode 101 “O Brave New World” airs Saturday, June 24 at 7pm ET
Frank Hathaway finds an unlikely partner in Lu Shakespeare.
Episode 102 “The Chimes at Midnight” airs Saturday, June 24 at 8pm ET
A stressed care homeowner falls to her death.
Episode 103 “This Promised End” airs Saturday, July 1 at 7pm ET
Frank and Lu race against the clock when an undertaker is given only 24 hours to live.
Episode 104 “This Rough Magic” airs Saturday, July 1 at 8pm ET
Frank and Lu investigate mysterious goings-on when a woman dies in a magic trick.
Episode 105 “Toil and Trouble” airs Saturday, July 8 at 7pm ET
Lu and Frank try to exonerate local criminal Billy when the local mayor is murdered.
Episode 106 “Exit, Pursued by a Bear” airs Saturday, July 8 at 8pm ET
Frank and Lu investigate death threats made against a former soap star.
Episode 107 “The Fairest Show Means Most Deceit” airs Saturday, July 15 at 7pm ET
A workplace compensation claim is not as straightforward as it first seems.
Episode 108 “The Chameleon’s Dish” airs Saturday, July 15 at 8pm ET
Frank and Lu must recover a precious jewel and a rebellious teenager before midnight.
Episode 109 “The Rascal Cook” airs Saturday, July 22 at 7pm ET
Frank and Lu feel the heat when they investigate a campaign of culinary sabotage.
Episode 110 “I’ll Met by Moonlight” airs Saturday, July 22 at 8pm ET
Frank and Lu try to protect a teen who suffers from nightmarish premonitions of murder.
Episode 201 “Outrageous Fortune” airs Saturday, July 29 at 7pm ET
Frank and Lu are tasked with tracking down a pampered pet.
Episode 202 “The Play’s The Thing” airs Saturday, July 29 at 8pm ET
Lu and Frank must clear the Queen’s name when a LARP battle in the woods goes wrong.
Episode 203 “This Cursed Hand” airs Saturday, August 5 at 7pm ET
Frank and Lu investigate the disappearance of an eastern European oligarch.
Episode 204 “Beware the Ides of March” airs Saturday, August 5 at 8pm ET
Frank and Lu investigate a series of deadly ‘accidents’ on a TV program.
Episode 205 “No More Cakes and Ale” airs Saturday, August 12 at 7pm ET
Frank and Lu must track down a vital witness in a crown court trial.
Episode 206 “The Offered Fallacy” airs Saturday, August 12 at 8pm ET
Frank and Lu are framed for various crimes by some mysterious doppelgangers.
Episode 207 “Nothing Will Come of Nothing” airs Saturday, August 19 at 7pm ET
Frank and Lu investigate a casino where gambling is a matter of life or death.
Episode 208 “In My Memory Lock’d” airs Saturday, August 19 at 8pm ET
When an amnesiac wanders into their lives, Frank and Lu must deduce what happened to him.
Episode 209 “The Envious Court” airs Saturday, August 26 at 7pm ET
Frank and Lu investigate a death threat at an exclusive tennis club.
Episode 210 “Too Cold for Hell” airs Saturday, August 26 at 8pm ET
Frank and Lu make some unlikely allies when they encounter a pair of deadly gangsters.
Later this year, Season Three will premiere on Ovation TV on Saturday, September 2 at 7pm ET, and Season Four will premiere on Saturday, October 7 at 7pm ET.
About OVATION TV America’s Premier Arts Network
As an independent television, production, and digital media company, OVATION TV has an unparalleled commitment to the arts, culture, and captivating entertainment. Showcasing a lineup of critically acclaimed premium dramas, specials, documentaries, and iconic films, OVATION TV salutes innovative storytelling with popular programming that includes Inside the Actors Studio, Murdoch Mysteries, Frankie Drake Mysteries, Arts Engines, The Fall, Midsomer Murders, The Art Of, Celebrity Conversations, and The Sound of New York. Ovation also powers JOURNY, the dedicated streaming service where art, culture, and travel intersect. The company has provided more than $15M in contributions and in-kind support to arts institutions and arts education. Its signature advocacy platform, STAND FOR THE ARTS, includes a coalition of over 150 arts organizations, cultural institutions, and arts leaders throughout the country raising awareness about art’s positive impact, protecting access for everyone, and encouraging action on behalf of the arts. OVATION TV is available on major providers via cable, satellite and telco systems including Comcast Cable/Xfinity, DIRECTV, Charter/Spectrum, Verizon FiOS, as well as on demand. You can follow OVATION TV on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, OvationTV.com, and through our App, OVATION NOW.