MASTERPIECE Studio

Tom Jones co-star Sophie Wilde reflects on what it means for her character, Sophia Western, to take charge of her own journey in defiance of her family—and society's expectations—in pursuit of her one true love.

Gwyneth Hughes is no stranger to serious period dramas, but wanted to try something more lighthearted and romantic. Hughes discusses the decisions and joys of adapting Henry Fielding’s 1,000-page, deeply human, mother of all rom coms into four episodes of pure sunshine.

Warning: This episode contains spoilers for Episode Six of the Third Season of Sanditon. After three dramatic seasons, the series finale of Sanditon brings the story of Jane Austen’s unfinished final novel to a satisfying conclusion. Rose Williams and Crystal Clarke discuss the resolution of Charlotte Heywood’s and Georgiana Lambe’s stories and reflect on what this series has meant to them as actors.

Warning: This episode contains spoilers for Episode Five of the Third Season of Sanditon. Mary Parker has steadfastly supported the dreams of her visionary husband, Tom, but when his vision for Sanditon collides with Mary’s belief in what is right and just, she can support him no longer. Actor Kate Ashfield joins the podcast to discuss how Mary Parker finds her voice by pushing against Tom’s intolerable plans.

Warning: This episode contains spoilers for Episode Three of the Third Season of Sanditon. Georgiana Lambe’s fortune has proven to be a blessing and a curse. While it provides her with safety and independence, it is also a magnet for fortune hunters and gossip mongers. In this interview, Crystal Clarke reveals some of the challenges Georgiana confronts as she defends not only her wealth, but also her identity.

It’s been anything but smooth sailing for Charlotte Heywood since she first arrived in Sanditon. After experiencing heartbreak twice, she returns to the seaside resort this time with her childhood friend and fiancé, Ralph Starling. Actor Rose Williams joins us to discuss Charlotte’s pursuit of self-discovery as we kick off this third and final season of Sanditon.

Warning: This episode contains spoilers for Episode Seven of the Third Season of All Creatures Great and Small. At the end of the third season of All Creatures Great and Small, World War II has finally come to the Yorkshire Dales. Series leads Rachel Shenton and Nicholas Ralph reflect on their characters’ first season as a married couple, and anticipate what the arrival of war will mean for the Dales — and for the Herriots themselves.

Warning: This episode contains spoilers for Episode Six of the Third Season of Miss Scarlet and The Duke. As a title character in Miss Scarlet and The Duke, William ‘Duke’ Wellington has a remarkably poor crime solving rate when compared to his amateur friend and colleague, Eliza Scarlet. But Stuart Martin assures viewers that the Duke is solving 100% of the crimes you don’t see him investigate, just off screen — not including the mystery of his love life, that is.

Warning: This episode contains spoilers for Episode Five of the Third Season of All Creatures Great and Small. The character of Mrs. Hall is knowing, and quick and quietly competent, but there’s much about her viewers still don’t know. Until this week, that is. In a gripping new episode, we learn the backstory of her long estrangement from her son, and Anna Madeley reveals how that story came to the screen.

Warning: This episode contains spoilers for Episode Four of the Third Season of Miss Scarlet and the Duke. Ivy Woods is Eliza Scarlet’s surrogate mother, best friend and biggest critic. But thanks to Eliza, Ivy’s seen new possibilities for women in the Victorian Era, which is a thrilling journey for actor Cathy Belton to chart. Belton traces Ivy’s arc in the last three seasons, and looks ahead to what’s in store for the sharp-tongued housekeeper.

Warning: This episode contains spoilers for Episode Three of the Third Season of Miss Scarlet and the Duke. Miss Scarlet and the Duke series creator, head writer and executive producer Rachael New has a new title to add to her hyphenated list of roles on the show — director! In this third episode of the third season, New stepped up and swept in to the director's chair in a charming jewel box of a bottle episode. New explains how she found the courage to take on the job, and what she learned from the process on set.

Warning: This episode contains spoilers for Episode Two of the Third Season of All Creatures Great and Small*.* On any given episode of All Creatures Great and Small, a wide variety of animals pass through the scene with injured hooves or damaged snouts. It's up to animal handlers like Jill Clark, of 1st Choice Animals, to train those furry guest stars to sit still, lie down or play dead — which she does to great effect. Clark explains the hidden human touch required behind the scenes to bring a rural veterinary practice to raucous life...and reveals which cast member Tricki Woo loves best.

Warning: This episode contains spoilers for Episode One of the Third Season of All Creatures Great and Small. It took two seasons of television — and a lot more besides — but Nicholas Ralph’s James Herriot has finally tied the knot with Rachel Shenton’s Helen Alderson. It’s a real highlight of the third season, and one Ralph and his castmates cherished all the more with the presence of real-life James Herriot's children, Rosie and Jim.

Warning: This episode contains spoilers for Episode Six of Magpie Murders. We’re of course bound to remind listeners not to listen to episodes like this until they watch all of the related Mystery! series — but after you do, you’ll definitely want to come back. Magpie Murders creator, writer and executive producer Anthony Horowitz and series star Lesley Manville return to the podcast to discuss the surprising finale, and perhaps even give Susan Ryeland and Atticus Pünd fans something to look forward to.

Warning: The episode contains spoilers for episode five of Magpie Murders. Actor Tim McMullan had worked with author and screenwriter Anthony Horowitz before, but never on a title as wild as the adaptation of his own Magpie Murders. As Atticus Pünd — a fictional detective who solves murders both real and imaginary — McMullan has great fun gently ribbing the classic whodunnit format.

Warning: This episode contains spoilers for Episode Five of the First Season of Miss Scarlet and the Duke*.* This is an encore release of an earlier podcast episode. A female private detective in Victorian London seems anachronistic — but Eliza Scarlet more than holds her own on the grimy streets of the British capitol. Kate Phillips is a witty delight in the title role, and she brings that zest to the MASTERPIECE Studio podcast.

Warning: This episode contains spoilers for Episode Three of the Second Season of Miss Scarlet and the Duke. The witty banter and serialized crime-of-the-week format of Miss Scarlet and the Duke give viewers a regular pivot between the expected and the extraordinary. That span was exactly what series creator and executive producer Rachael New aimed for when she put together the show, and she explains the origin story and looks ahead in a new conversation.

Warning: This episode contains spoilers for episode two of Magpie Murders. Lesley Manville is in high demand lately for her excellent work on screen, so it seems only fitting that she come to the MASTERPIECE screen in the role of brilliant editor Susan Ryeland in the twisty mystery of Magpie Murders. Manville explores what drew her to the role, and where she stands in her storied career.

Warning: This episode contains spoilers for Episode One of Magpie Murders. Anthony Horowitz has written dozen of books and scores of television dramas in his lengthy career, but the task of transforming his meta mystery novel, Magpie Murders — a crime novel about writing and publishing crime novels — was especially tricky. Fortunately for MASTERPIECE viewers, the resulting series is a delight, and the author explains the tricky choices he made to bring Susan Ryeland and Atticus Pünd to the screen.

Warning: This episode contains spoilers for Episode Six of the Seventh Season of Grantchester. As the seventh season of Grantchester comes to a surprisingly satisfying close, fans can be assured that the eighth season of the series is just over the horizon. Series creator and head writer Daisy Coulam and series lead — and director! — Tom Brittney return to the podcast to wrap up and look ahead .

Warning: This episode contains spoilers for Episode Five of the Seventh Season of Grantchester. The stubborn Mrs. C — Sylvia Chapman — is a centerpiece of the Grantchester family. Her unexpected medical troubles this seventh season leave her and the entire vicarage at a loss. Fortunately, Tessa Peake-Jones is more than able to find the emotional center of her character's difficult moments.

Warning: This episode contains spoilers for Episode Four of the Seventh Season of Grantchester. There's a rotating cast of murderers — and murder victims — on every episode of Grantchester. But where do the actors come from who populate the Cambridgeshire rogues’ gallery? Longtime series casting director Alex Irwin reveals how she casts a show.

Warning: This episode contains spoilers for Episode Three of the Seventh Season of. Grantchester lead Tom Brittney already took a big leap in leading a series after a beloved main character left — and now, he takes on a new challenge in directing that show, too. The actor and director returns to the podcast for a very cinematic conversation about where he draws inspiration behind and in front of the camera.

Warning: This episode contains spoilers for Episode Two of the Seventh Season of Grantchester. Maybe it’s the season, maybe it’s real-world changes, maybe it’s the tide — but Grantchester head writer and series creator Daisy Coulam feels a positive vibe in the seventh iteration of her character-driven murder mystery. True, there’s still murder — but things are looking up for Will, Geordie and their found families.

Warning: This episode contains spoilers for Episode One of Ridley Road. Both sides of Sarah Solemani’s family have roots in the Ridley Road area of London, so when she read author Jo Bloom’s haunting novel, Ridley Road, she saw personal elements in the story. Still, the narrative on screen in her new miniseries — a young Jewish woman caught up in anti-fascist espionage — casts a wider and more thrilling net.

Warning: This episode contains spoilers for Episode Six of the Second Season of Sanditon. Charlotte Heywood is finally able to properly grieve her sense of loss, but the choices she makes at the end of this second season are surprising, to say the least. Rose Williams is ready for the story still to come in season three.

Warning: This episode contains spoilers for Episode Five of the Second Season of Sanditon. Sanditon's Crystal Clarke opens up about the journey that she and the series' creators undertook to give her West Indian heiress character, Miss Georgiana Lambe, a richer and more authentic development in this second season of the show.

Warning: This episode contains spoilers for Episode Four of the Second Season of Sanditon. Alison Heywood is a newcomer to the up and coming resort town of Sanditon, and like her older sister Charlotte before her, she finds the entire experience to be a thrill. Rosie Graham is also new to the scene, and she used Alison's love of romantic novels and poetry to find the character's plucky drive.

Warning: This episode contains spoilers for Episode Three of the Second Season of Sanditon. The Lady Esther Babington that returns to Sanditon is a softer, more open-minded woman than the biting character we knew before. Granted, her razor sharp wit remains, but Charlotte Spencer is glad to guide her character to a more loving place of grace this season.

Warning: This episode contains spoilers for Episode Two of the Second Season of Sanditon. Arthur Parker is the life of any party in Sanditon — and much of that has to do with the charm of actor Turlough Convery. While much of his castmates would love to play his role, Convery brings a special approach to the happy youngest Parker sibling.

Warning: This episode contains spoilers for Episode One of the Second Season of Sanditon. Sanditon head writer Justin Young is as thrilled as you are to return to the most desirable destination on the south English coast. He returns to the podcast as well for a preview of a second season of romance and intrigue, and offers his thanks to the passion and commitment of the series' many active fans.

Warning: This episode contains spoilers for Episode Seven of the Second Season of All Creatures Great and Small. The final episode of the second season of All Creatures Great and Small is both heartbreaking and heartwarming at the same time. That delicate balance is thanks to the work of series lead Nicholas Ralph, who feels right at home in the Yorkshire Dales. With two more seasons of the series on the way, Ralph looks ahead to the next chapter.

Warning: This episode contains spoilers for Episode Six of the Second Season of All Creatures Great and Small. At the end of another season of All Creatures Great and Small, Helen Alderson is still thinking about marriage — but now in an entirely new light. Rachel Shenton takes a sensible, sensitive approach to her character, and she explains some of Helen's hopes and fears after a busy season on the Dales.

Warning: This episode contains spoilers for Episode Four of the Second Season of All Creatures Great and Small*.* The Brothers Farnon have a fraught relationship — but viewers can rest assured that the actors who play them don't have those struggles. Samuel West and Callum Woodhouse return to the podcast to explain how they locate that family tension on screen.

Warning: This episode contains spoilers for Episode Three of the Second Season of All Creatures Great and Small. The All Creatures Great and Small cast sadly had to say goodbye to the remarkable Dame Diana Rigg after the first season of the series. Luckily for them — and for all of us — the phenomenal Patricia Hodge slips into the elegant role of Mrs. Pumphrey with a practiced ease. Hodge explores Darrowby, theatre and Derek in a new interview.

Warning: This episode contains spoilers for Episode Two of the Second Season of All Creatures Great and Small*.* In a buzzy new season of All Creatures Great and Small, the sassy divorcée, Diana Brompton, is a breath of fresh air. So, too, is actor Dorothy Atkinson, who brings her peppy charm to the podcast.

Warning: This episode contains spoilers for Episode One of the second season of All Creatures Great and Small. The soothing, gentle nature of All Creatures Great and Small renders the pain and struggles of ordinary life in warm, calming tones. Much of that comes from the series' original author, Alf Wight, but it also comes from executive producer and head writer Ben Vanstone. He explains how he plans each cycle of the show — and his genuine, real life love of animals.

Warning: This episode contains spoilers for Episode One of Around the World in 80 Days. The fabulously talented David Tennant is well known to MASTERPIECE viewers — he hosted MASTERPIECE Contemporary more than a decade ago, and has appeared on plenty of MASTERPIECE and MASTERPIECE Mystery! titles throughout the years — but his role in the sweeping new adaptation of Jules Vernes' Around the World in 80 Days is a thrilling return to form. Tennant previews the ongoing series, and looks ahead to the rest of the quest to come in a new conversation.

There's romance afoot on the Sanditon shores, with five new male characters heading to the resort in the upcoming second season. Who are these new male characters, and where are they looking for love? And what does it mean to be a Man of Sanditon — an Austen romantic hero? We find out in the final Making Sanditon preview podcast.

While we’re all looking forward to the return to Sanditon, there’s no one more excited than than the talented young actor who plays Charlotte Heywood, Rose Williams. Williams returns to the MASTERPIECE Studio podcast to look ahead at the second and third seasons of the series and offer a hint of what’s still to come for the adventurous Charlotte.

You already know that Sanditon is coming back to PBS screens — but just what will happen in the seaside resort when the curtain finally raises after two years of waiting? A few members of the series’ creative team explore the stories still to come on the upcoming second and third seasons in the first of three special preview podcast episodes from MASTERPIECE Studio.

Warning: This episode contains spoilers for Episode Eight of the Sixth Season of Grantchester. As Grantchester wraps its serialized sixth season, series creator Daisy Coulam is already hard at work on the seventh season. Among other new elements, the upcoming season features a new director at the helm — series star Tom Brittney. Coulam and Brittney preview the new season, and unpack the season that just closed, in a new podcast.

MASTERPIECE Studio and GBH bring you a preview episode of a new podcast and documentary film series: American Veteran. In war and in peace, what veterans have done in America’s name is woven into the fabric of the American story. The new PBS series, American Veteran, illuminates their experiences with a stunning range of veterans’ voices, presented in a nine-part podcast. Each episode of the podcast revolves around the direct testimony of a single veteran - from a Coast Guard gunner’s mate who manned a landing craft at Omaha Beach on D-Day, to an Army cook in Iraq who became the first Black American woman held as a POW; from an Army nurse in Vietnam who struggled to do her part to a satellite technician who served as a gay man during the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell era. This collection of riveting first-person stories provides a compelling portrait of the veteran experience across multiple generations. The series is hosted by Phil Klay, a Marine Corps veteran featured in the “American Veteran” television series and author of the National Book Award-winning collection of short stories, “Redeployment.” American Veteran: Unforgettable Stories drops on Tuesdays, October 19 – December 14.

Warning: This episode contains spoilers for Episode Six of the Sixth Season of Grantchester. The police force in Grantchester is all men — with the notable exception of the sixth season's bright new regular, the sassy secretary, Miss Scott. Melissa Johns' snappy assistant can match wits with the best of them, and the actor and disability advocate reveals how she does it in a new conversation.

Warning: This episode contains spoilers for Episode Three of the Second Season of Baptiste. The brilliant Fiona Shaw is already a regular guest on MASTERPIECE programs, but this is her first interview on MASTERPIECE Studio — a format that she takes to with ease, like so much else in her storied career. In the challenging second season of Baptiste, Shaw plays Emma Chambers, the no-nonsense British Ambassador to Hungary, who more than holds her own with inspector Julien Baptiste.

Warning: This episode contains spoilers for the third episode of the sixth season of Grantchester. After six seasons in a single role, you might think Al Weaver has fully centered his performance as literary village curate, Leonard Finch. But in this serialized sixth season, there's still emotional and dramatic depth to uncover, which Weaver does with great skill. Weaver explains what he's learned about himself in playing Leonard, and what it felt like to film in the midst of a pandemic.

Warning: This podcast contains spoilers for the first episode of the sixth season of Grantchester. In the six seasons of Grantchester, the action has mainly centered on the titular village, along with crime in nearby Cambridge. For the first episode of series six, executive producer Emma Kingsman-Lloyd and head writer Daisy Coulam shift the action to a nostalgic British holiday camp — with murder and drama to spare.

Warning: This episode contains spoilers for Episodes Three and Four of the First Season of Guilt. In Guilt, Mark Bonnar’s snide, crafty Max is far from sympathetic. But the veteran actor thinks even Max is redeemable in the end. Bonnar talks Max and making this season — and the next — of Guilt in a new conversation.

Warning: This episode contains spoilers for Episodes One and Two of the First Season of Guilt. Guilt stars Jamie Sives and Mark Bonnar are old friends from high school, so it isn't hard to imagine them as their bickering on-screen characters. Sives explores the intricacies of the series’ tricky plot and more in a new interview.

Warning: This episode contains spoilers for Episode Six of the Fourth Season of Unforgotten. The truly tragic ending of the fourth season of Unforgotten made series creator and head writer Chris Lang tear up as he wrote it. Lang talks through the twisty fourth season of his series, and looks ahead to what's in store for the planned fifth season of his modern day crime drama.