Shakespeare & Hathaway Officially Renewed for Season 5 (Confirmed!)

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Last Updated on September 24, 2024 by Stefanie Hutson

It's the news we (and many of you) have been waiting for since 2022…

According to the BBC, Shakespeare & Hathaway has been officially recommissioned for a fifth season. Even better? It's already filming! 

Produced by BBC Studios Drama Productions in Birmingham, the new season sees the return of Jo Joyner, Mark Benton and Patrick Walshe McBride to their roles as Luella Shakespeare, Frank Hathaway and Sebastian Brudenell. Some of the stars had previously said that there was no news and they doubted it would return, so this is an unexpected surprise for many who'd been holding out hope.

The new season is part of a BBC commitment to investment in the Midlands region (where Stratford-upon-Avon is located), a plan which has already resulted in the renewal of Father Brown for seasons 12 and 13.

For those not familiar with the series, Shakespeare & Hathaway follows a pair of private investigators and their helpful, often-disguised assistant. Mark Benton stars as prickly former cop Frank Hathaway, Jo Joyner plays the warmer ex-hairdresser Luella Shakespeare, and Patrick Walshe McBride plays aspiring actor and assistant Sebastian Brudenell. Episodes are set in Shakespeare's birthplace, Stratford-upon-Avon, and episodes are dotted with numerous references to his work. 

Sadly, the Shakespeare & Hathaway team will be a bit smaller as it returns. Co-creator Jude Tindall died suddenly in August, and actress Roberta Taylor (who portrayed Gloria Fonteyn) died in July. We wish their families and friends all the best, and we know the continuing cast and crew members will do them proud.

Though not explicitly stated, it's very possible the return of the series is in some small part due to the unending efforts of fans who wanted to see it come back. Along with letters and emails to the BBC, a popular Change.org petition had more than 13,000 signatures. Actress Jo Joyner was well aware of the ongoing efforts of fans, and had spoken with many about her shared hopes for another season. Of the renewal, she said:

I’m so excited to be stepping back into Luella’s bright and fluffy shoes! We have such loyal and brilliant fans who have been asking us daily if we’ll ever be back, so it’s wonderful to finally be able to say yes! I can’t wait to see Lu, Frank and Sebastian cracking more countryside crimes whilst squabbling fondly in series 5.

Patrick Walshe McBride has also been spotted quite a bit on fan groups, posing happily in photos with many and expressing appreciation for the fanbase (and comments suggest he's been kind and an absolute delight to meet). In an official statement on the new series, he said:

I'm so excited to be back filming Shakespeare & Hathaway. We have so much fun making the show and we put a lot of love into it. I hope viewers will be interested to find out what the characters have been up to over the last couple of years, and will enjoy accompanying us in a new season of murder and merriment. Anyone for Earl Grey?

When Will Shakespeare & Hathaway Return to Our Screens for Season 5?

Of course, this is the big question on everyone's mind. Given that the BBC has confirmed the new season is actively filming now (late September 2024), we would be surprised if it was more than 12 months before the new episodes hit our screens. Filming and post-production take time, but in most cases, you're looking at about 3-9 months from the time filming begins to the time a show premieres.

We haven't seen any official mention about how many episodes will be included in the new season, but if it follows the pattern of previous seasons, we can expect 10 new mysteries to look forward to. Another thing still not mentioned is who will return on the police side of the casting. In seasons 1 and 2, Amber Aga played DI Christine Marlowe – but in seasons 3 and 4 we saw Yasmin Kaur Barn as PC Viola Deacon. We'd love to see either of them back along with Tomos Eames as DS Joseph Keeler – but at this point, we don't have the details.

In the UK, the new series will premiere on UKTV's specialist crime drama channel, Alibi. Later, it will be available on the BBC and iPlayer. No US details have been provided at time of writing, but we'd be surprised if it ended up somewhere other than BritBox (where you can currently watch seasons 1-4). 

The series is produced by BBC Studios Drama Productions for the BBC and UKTV. Executive Producers are Neil Irvine for BBC Studios, Helen Munson and Rob Unsworth for the BBC and Claire Hookway, Commissioning Executive, Drama, for UKTV.

Erika Hossington is Series Producer and Lyn Washbrook is Script Producer. International distribution will be handled by BBC Studios.