Death Valley returns to BBC One tonight with Timothy Spall back as John Chapel, the retired television actor whose fictional detective past keeps dragging him into very real murder cases. The BBC mystery comedy airs at 8.15pm, and this week’s episode gives viewers a fresh case, a messy family twist and another reason to tune in if they prefer crime drama with humour rather than constant darkness.

The new episode reunites John with Welsh detective Janie Mallowan, played by Gwyneth Keyworth. Their partnership has always been unusual: Janie is the professional investigator, while John is the former screen detective who thinks years of acting in crime shows have given him a usable instinct for solving murders. That gap between real policing and performance is where much of the show’s charm sits.

This time, the pair are pulled into a suspicious death after a man doing community service is found dead at an outdoor rave site. It is a lively setting for a murder mystery, moving the show away from the familiar quiet-village crime scene and into a space filled with questions about who was there, what happened after dark and why a punishment detail ended in death.

There is also trouble before the investigation even begins. John Chapel has returned with a new goatee and a new girlfriend, but the bigger shock is her identity: he is dating Janie’s mother. For Janie, that turns an already irritating working relationship into something far more personal. It is not only about solving the case now; she also has to manage the discomfort of seeing John become part of her family life.

That awkward emotional thread gives tonight’s Death Valley more than a simple whodunnit setup. The show works because it lets the murder plot and the character comedy feed each other. John can be theatrical, nosy and overconfident, but he is not useless. Janie can be visibly annoyed by him, but she also knows he sometimes spots details others miss. Their relationship is built on friction, and the new romance twist raises the pressure without forcing the series to become too heavy.

For BBC One, the return of Death Valley fits neatly into the current appetite for mystery shows that are clever without being relentlessly bleak. Viewers who enjoy the puzzle of a murder case but do not want an hour of grim procedural drama have made room for series that mix danger with warmth. Death Valley sits in that lane: it has bodies, suspects and clues, but it also has personality.

Timothy Spall is central to that balance. His John Chapel is funny because he takes himself seriously, not because the show treats him like a clown. He carries the vanity of an actor who once played a detective, but beneath the ego is someone who wants to matter. That makes the character more watchable than a simple comic sidekick. He is ridiculous at times, but never empty.

Gwyneth Keyworth’s Janie gives the series its grounding. She has the authority of the actual detective in the room, and her frustration with John keeps the story from becoming too cosy. Their scenes work best when Janie is trying to keep the investigation focused while John drifts toward drama, instinct and half-useful theories. The result is a partnership that can irritate both characters while entertaining the audience.

Tonight’s episode also lands during a crowded night for UK television. Before Death Valley, BBC Two begins the second series of Expedition With Steve Backshall at 7.15pm. Backshall heads to the Kronotsky River in Russia’s far-east Kamchatka Peninsula, where he and a team of kayakers attempt a descent that has never been completed before. The journey includes the added danger of active volcanoes and brown bears, giving BBC Two a strong adventure slot before the evening’s drama-heavy schedule takes over.

At 9pm, ITV1 continues Believe Me, a much tougher watch that focuses on the John Worboys case and the failures faced by rape victims trying to be heard. The drama follows the slow police progress and the impact on survivors, including Sarah, who is shown living with the trauma while raising her second child. It is a very different kind of television from Death Valley, but it is one of the night’s most serious entries.

Channel 4 also has a major 9pm slot with Your Song: The Grand Final. Hosted by Alison Hammond, the amateur singing competition reaches its final stage after public heats in Liverpool, Edinburgh, London and Birmingham. The finalists perform at London’s Hackney Empire, with Sam Ryder and Paloma Faith involved as mentors before the winner is chosen.

Later in the evening, BBC Two brings back Later … With Jools Holland at 10pm for its 68th series. The opening episode features Niall Horan, Tomora, Aja Monet, Getdown Services and Squeeze at the Ally Pally theatre. Jools Holland also turns 68, making the long-running music show’s return feel like a neat full-circle moment for BBC Two’s schedule.

ITV1 adds another drama option at 10.20pm with The Family Next Door, an Australian thriller starring Teresa Palmer as Isabelle, a woman who rents a home in a seaside cul-de-sac and becomes increasingly drawn into the lives of her neighbours. The show begins with an attractive suburban surface, but the mystery underneath appears to be the real hook.

Film viewers are also well served. BBC Three airs God’s Creatures at 10.40pm, starring Emily Watson and Paul Mescal in a tense Irish drama about a mother who gives her son a false alibi after he is accused of rape. BBC Two follows with Brother at 10.50pm, Clement Virgo’s emotional drama about two Jamaican-Canadian brothers dealing with racism, violence, grief and family trauma.

Sport rounds out the day’s viewing. Women’s Six Nations rugby coverage includes Wales v Italy at noon on BBC Two, followed by France v England at 4.25pm on BBC One. Premier League coverage on Sky Sports Main Event includes Manchester United v Nottingham Forest at noon and Newcastle v West Ham at 5pm.

Even with that packed schedule, Death Valley has one of the clearest hooks of the night. A dead man at a rave site, a detective forced back into partnership with an ex-TV sleuth, and a mother-daughter complication caused by John’s new romance give BBC One a return episode with enough mystery and character tension to keep viewers engaged.

The original TV listing was published by The Guardian. For more entertainment coverage, readers can also explore Swikblog’s report on BBC’s Beyond Paradise Season 4 return.

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