Timothy Spall is back on UK screens in new murder mystery series Death Valley – which has already won huge praise and broken records to boot.
The show sees the star play retired actor John Chapel, who himself played a fictional TV detective, as he joins forces with detective Janie Mallowan (Gwyneth Keyworth) to solve murders in a Welsh village.
Despite being an odd couple, the two "soon realise they are the closest thing each other has to a best friend, and unwittingly help one another move on from the past".
Death Valley has become a hit with audiences, taking in 2.9 million viewers – making it the biggest overnight audience for a new BBC scripted comedy in five years. The series premiere was also in the number one slot for terrestrial channels.
If you've already binged through and are looking for more of Spall's best work to dive into, here is a list of some of his top BBC shows.
Wolf Hall
The acclaimed drama is based on the book series by late author Hilary Mantel, which follows the life of Thomas Cromwell (Mark Rylance) and his rise in the Tudor court of King Henry VIII (Damian Lewis).
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The show returned for its second season The Mirror and the Light last year, with Spall stepping into the role of the Duke of Norfolk – originally played by Bernard Hill before his death in 2024. Executive producer Peter Kosminsky explained at the time that the character is different in the original second book, which Spall "fitted really well".
The show also features Slow Horses' Jonathan Pryce, The Queen's Gambit's Thomas Brodie-Sangster, Succession's Harriet Walter and The Crown's Claire Foy.
The Sixth Commandment
Spall won huge acclaim, including a BAFTA award for Leading Actor, for his performance in Sarah Phelps's The Sixth Commandment.
The four-part 2023 series tells the true story of teacher Peter Farquhar's (Spall) murder by Ben Field (Éanna Hardwicke), who manipulates his way into his life as well as that of neighbour Ann Moore-Martin (Anne Reid). It also features Being Human's Annabel Scholey and Sheila Hancock.
Spall previously explained how the series is "so much about loneliness and love, and dreams being fulfilled that are actually too good to be true" (via Radio Times).
The Street
This BBC One series originally ran for three seasons between 2006 and 2009 and follows the lives of a number of residents in a Manchester street.
Coming from Cracker's Jimmy McGovern, the show stars Spall as Eddie McEvoy who, alongside wife Margie (Ger Ryan), are the only family to appear across multiple seasons.
Although short-lived, the series drew critical acclaim and won two BAFTAs and four International Emmys. Other stars include the likes of Oscar-winner Jim Broadbent, Absolutely Fabulous' Jane Horrocks, Adolescence's Stephen Graham and Landscapers' David Thewlis.
The Syndicate
Spall appeared in the first edition of Kay Mellor's anthology show, which follows different groups of betting syndicates who win the lottery in each season.
The actor plays Bob Davies in the episodes alongside Vera's Lorraine Bruce, Harry Potter's Matthew Lewis and Gavin & Stacey's Joanna Page, with the 2012 first season focusing on supermarket workers whose lives are turned upside down.
Subsequent seasons of the show feature the likes of Happy Valley's Siobhan Finneran, Gavin & Stacey's Alison Steadman, comedian Lenny Henry and Line of Duty's Taj Atwal, with Bruce's Denise Simpson the only consistent character throughout.
Death Valley airs on weekly on Sundays on BBC One. The whole boxset is also available to watch now on BBC iPlayer.
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Sam is a freelance reporter and sub-editor who has a particular interest in movies, TV and music. After completing a journalism Masters at City University, London, Sam joined Digital Spy as a reporter, and has also freelanced for publications such as NME and Screen International. Sam, who also has a degree in Film, can wax lyrical about everything from Lord of the Rings to Love Is Blind, and is equally in his element crossing every 't' and dotting every 'i' as a sub-editor.
