MASTERPIECE Studio

This is an encore release of an earlier podcast episode.For writer Gwyneth Hughes, Mr Bates vs The Post Office is the perfect culmination of her years of experience as a journalist, documentarian, and dramatist. This week, Gwyneth joins us to discuss how she adapted this true story for the screen, and the real-life impact of this drama series as the fallout from the scandal continues to echo in Parliament, the courts, and the halls of power in Britain. 

WARNING: This episode contains spoilers for Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light.Director Peter Kosminsky worked closely with late author Hilary Mantel to bring the story of Thomas Cromwell's rise and fall to the screen. Today, he shares his experience working with Hilary, filming on the same Hampton Court Palace flagstones where King Henry VIII once stood, and finally saying goodbye to Thomas Cromwell. 

WARNING: This episode contains spoilers for Episode Six of Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light.Actor Sir Mark Rylance earned multiple awards for his nuanced portrayal of Thomas Cromwell in Wolf Hall. He returns to the role in the sequel, Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light, and explores a more vulnerable side to Henry's infamous fixer. Today, Mark discusses saying goodbye to this character, the importance of mentors, and the beauty of mystery.

WARNING: This episode contains spoilers for Episode Five of Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light.Screenwriter, and newly minted Oscar winner, Peter Straughan is fascinated by stories of loyalty and betrayal. In Episode Five of Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light, Cromwell's loyalty is under question. Today, Peter joins the podcast to discuss adapting and writing this captivating drama series.

WARNING: This episode contains spoilers for Episode Four of Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light.Actor Damian Lewis is well-known to MASTERPIECE viewers for his iconic roles in The Forsyte Saga and Wolf Hall. He joins the podcast to discuss the sequel, Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light, and reflects on playing one of the most notorious kings in English history. In Episode 4, King Henry VIII's health is deteriorating, and there's threat of invasion from France and Spain, but Henry also gets what he has wanted most of all, a male heir.

WARNING: This episode contains spoilers for Episode Three of Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light.Actor Lilit Lesser is a familiar face to MASTERPIECE audiences, appearing in both Wolf Hall and Endeavour. Lilit joins us today to discuss playing Lady Mary in Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light, and examine how the character balances faith with fortitude.

WARNING: This episode contains spoilers for Episode Two of Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light.Historian and production researcher Kirsten Claiden-Yardley returns to the podcast to discuss the world of King Henry VIII and his court and distinguish fact from fiction in the first two episodes of Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light. 

Historian and television presenter Lucy Worsley brings us back to the 16th century to discuss the history of Tudor England. We talk about Thomas Cromwell, King Henry VIII's reign, and how his eldest child, Mary Tudor, earned the nickname Bloody Mary. 

This is an encore release of an earlier podcast episode.WARNING: This episode contains spoilers for Wolf Hall.We're pleased to bring you this special recap episode of Wolf Hall, the award-winning 2015 adaptation of Hilary Mantel's novels Wolf Hall and Bring Up the Bodies. This episode outlines major plot points, historical details, and character arcs, so if you're not caught up on Wolf Hall yet, all six episodes are available to watch on PBS Passport. Now let's travel back to England in the year 1529, right at the start of one of the most tempestuous times in English history.

WARNING: This episode contains spoilers for All Creatures Great and Small Season 5.Actor Anna Madeley's endearing Audrey Hall takes pride in what she does, from keeping Skeldale House running smoothly, to volunteering as a blackout warden for Darrowby, helping to keep the town safe during the war. Anna discusses how her character managed to balance hope and despair in her spellbinding performance in this season of All Creatures Great and Small's Christmas special. 

WARNING: This episode contains spoilers for Episode 5 of Miss Scarlet Season 5.Miss Scarlet creator Rachael New never shies away from a challenge. By Season 3 she was not only writing the show, but also made her directorial debut. This season Rachael challenged herself by stepping in front of the camera playing the stern headmistress Mary Agnes. Rachael joins us for this special bonus episode to discuss what this moment meant for both her and the young Eliza Scarlet. 

WARNING: This episode contains spoilers for Episode 5 of Miss Scarlet Season 5.Actor Tom Durant-Pritchard joins the cast of Miss Scarlet this season as the hardworking and honest Inspector Alexander Blake. In this conversation, Tom takes us into the mind of Blake, and shares what might be behind his chilly exterior and how he grows to respect the brilliant Eliza Scarlet.

WARNING: This episode contains spoilers for Episode 4 of Miss Scarlet Season 5.Actor Felix Scott's character, Patrick Nash, once ran London's most successful private detective agency, but this season of Miss Scarlet he finds himself behind prison bars. In this episode, we talk with Felix about his character's rise and fall, and how he has unexpectedly become the ideal sounding board for Eliza Scarlet during a time of change. 

WARNING: This episode contains spoilers for Episode 3 of All Creatures Great and Small Season 5.Actor Jeremy Swift is no stranger to MASTERPIECE productions, appearing in both Downton Abbey and The Durrells in Corfu. Today, he joins us to discuss playing his most recent MASTERPIECE character, the regimented and sentimental air raid warden Mr. Bosworth, who keeps Darrowby safe in this season of All Creatures Great and Small.

WARNING: This episode contains spoilers for Episode 2 of All Creatures Great and Small Season 5.Actor Imogen Clawson makes her MASTERPIECE Studio debut as we talk about her growing up on the set of All Creatures Great and Small, alongside her character, Jenny Alderson. This season brings a more mature Jenny as she contemplates her options for the future in an ever-changing world and evolving family.

WARNING: This episode contains spoilers for Episode 1 of Miss Scarlet Season 5.For Miss Scarlet writer and creator Rachael New, Season 5 is one of change and vulnerability, but also exciting possibilities. In this conversation, we talk with Rachael about new beginnings for Eliza, her friends and colleagues, and Scotland Yard.

MASTERPIECE Executive Producer Susanne Simpson joins us as we celebrate MASTERPIECE Studio's 10-year anniversary. We talk about everything from the inception of the podcast, up to the present day, and peek into the future as we discuss some of the exciting MASTERPIECE titles in 2025 and beyond.

WARNING: This episode contains spoilers for Wolf Hall.We're pleased to bring you this special recap episode of Wolf Hall, the award-winning 2015 adaptation of Hilary Mantel's novels Wolf Hall and Bring Up the Bodies. This episode outlines major plot points, historical details, and character arcs, so if you're not caught up on Wolf Hall yet, all six episodes are available to watch on PBS Passport. Now let's travel back to England in the year 1529, right at the start of one of the most tempestuous times in English history.

WARNING: This episode contains spoilers for Wolf Hall.Production researcher Kirsten Claiden-Yardley is an Oxford educated historian, researcher, and author with a particular interest in 15th and 16th century British history. Today, Kirsten takes us behind the tapestry to discuss working on MASTERPIECE's 2015 production Wolf Hall, and provides the real life historical context for this monumental historical drama. 

WARNING: This episode contains spoilers for The Marlow Murder Club.Actor Samantha Bond joins the podcast once again to talk about the surprising ending of The Marlow Murder Club, and reflect on Judith Potts' character arc from independent retired archaeologist to amateur detective alongside her new friends.

WARNING: This episode contains spoilers for Episode 1 of The Marlow Murder Club.Actor Samantha Bond plays the inquisitive Judith Potts, who isn't your average sleuth. When she isn't writing her latest crossword or enjoying a travel sweet, retired archaeologist Judith can be found wild swimming in the Thames. Today, we talk with Samantha about playing the lead character of The Marlow Murder Club. Samantha also shares fond memories of her Downton Abbey co-star and friend, the late Maggie Smith.

WARNING: This episode contains spoilers for Moonflower Murders.Actor Pippa Bennett-Warner returns to the podcast in this special bonus episode to discuss that shocking reveal in the finale of Moonflower Murders.

WARNING: This episode contains spoilers for Moonflower Murders.Writer and creator Anthony Horowitz sits down with us again to wrap up his magnificently classic yet modern meta-mystery series, Moonflower Murders.

WARNING: This episode contains spoilers for Moonflower Murders Episode 5.Actor Mark Gatiss is a familiar face in the MASTERPIECE world. From Sherlock to Wolf Hall to Nolly, he always brings a unique charm to his characters and scripts. Today, we talk with Mark about playing timid film producer Oscar Berlin and prickly Frank Parris in Anthony Horowitz's Moonflower Murders, as well as his love of golden age murder mysteries. 

WARNING: This episode contains spoilers for Moonflower Murders Episode 4.For actor Pippa Bennett-Warner, Madeline Cain is the perfect cozy murder mystery character. She's delightful, respectful, and impeccably dressed. As detective Atticus Pünd's efficient assistant, Madeline keeps things organized and anticipates her boss's needs, but beneath this flawless facade lurks a woman who can't hide her adoration for murdered actress Melissa James. Today, Pippa brings us inside Madeline's world, that of 1950's Devonshire, and gives us a glimpse into what makes her character tick. 

WARNING: This episode contains spoilers for Moonflower Murders Episode 1.Having composed over 60 novels and countless screenplays, Anthony Horowitz is among today's most prolific writers. We talk with Anthony about the sequel to MASTERPIECE's Magpie Murders, his novel Moonflower Murders, and how he adapted this story for the screen. Anthony shares his insights on plot, character motivation, and what to look forward to in the coming episodes.

This is an encore release of an earlier podcast episode.Actor Tim McMullan had worked with author and screenwriter Anthony Horrowitz 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.

This is an encore release of an earlier podcast episode.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.

This is an encore release of an earlier podcast episode.Anthony Horowitz has written dozens 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 Grantchester Season 9.Reverend Alphy Kottaram could be described as a “glass half full” kind of guy. And this season, that optimistic outlook has been repeatedly put to the test. Today, we're joined once again by lead actor Rishi Nair, and Grantchester writer and creator Daisy Coulam to look back on this transformational season, and maybe peek into the future of the next.

WARNING: This episode contains spoilers for Grantchester Season 9.Actor Al Weaver has played fan-favorite Leonard Finch since the first season of Grantchester. After successfully stepping behind the camera as the director of an episode last season, he's back in the director's seat for Episodes 4 and 5 of Season 9. Today, we're joined by Al to discuss the choices he made in directing these spellbinding episodes of Grantchester.

WARNING: This episode contains spoilers for Episode 3 of Grantchester Season 9.Actor Rishi Nair steps into the role of Grantchester's newest vicar, Alphy Kotteram. But this quaint Cambridgeshire village doesn't exactly welcome him with open arms. Will Alphy find his place in Grantchester? Today, we're joined by Rishi and lead writer and executive producer Daisy Coulam, to dive into all of the big changes in this new era of Grantchester.

WARNING: This episode contains spoilers for Grantchester Season 9.Tom Brittney has been a multi-hyphenate on Grantchester: lead actor, director, and executive producer. For the past five seasons, we've watched his character, Will Davenport, transform from rash youth to family man. This week, Tom joins us for a final time to reflect on what playing Will Davenport has taught him about himself and to tie up Will's character arc as he bids farewell to Grantchester.

Mr Bates vs The Post Office writer Gwyneth Hughes joins the podcast again to continue our conversation about this real-life scandal, and what lessons we can take away from one of the greatest miscarriages of justice in British history.

WARNING: This episode contains spoilers for Alice & Jack.For lead actor and executive producer Andrea Riseborough, love can look like many things. From confusion and estrangement to laughter and awkwardness, love is always beyond our control. This week, Andrea brings us inside the mind of her character Alice, and to the heart of her tragic relationship with Jack, as this beautifully complex love story comes to a close.

WARNING: This episode contains spoilers for episode 5 of Alice & JackActor Aisling Bea delights in bringing nuance to her characters and finding the humor in dramatic roles. This week, Aisling joins us to discuss playing Jack's dynamic and resilient ex-wife Lynn in Alice & Jack, and how her character maintains her poise and dignity despite the chaos of Alice and Jack's relationship.

For writer Gwyneth Hughes, Mr Bates vs The Post Office is the perfect culmination of her years of experience as a journalist, documentarian, and dramatist. This week, Gwyneth joins us to discuss how she adapted this true story for the screen, and the real-life impact of this drama series as the fallout from the scandal continues to echo in Parliament, the courts, and the halls of power in Britain. 

WARNING: This episode contains spoilers for Nolly. Actor Helena Bonham Carter enjoys playing complex, dynamic roles. From Princess Margaret to Bellatrix Lestrange, she never shies away from complicated characters. This week, we talked with Helena about playing the trailblazing Noele Gordon in Russell T Davies' Nolly, a role for which she earned a BAFTA Television award nomination for Leading Actress.

WARNING: This episode contains spoilers for Nolly. Composer Blair Mowat has written music for a long list of film and TV productions, including Class, After The Flood, and recently, Russell T. Davies' bittersweet love letter to the Queen of the Midlands, Nolly. This week, we talked with Blair about how he approached composing the music for this eloquent and emotional real-life drama, for which he earned a BAFTA Television Award nomination for Original Music.

WARNING: This episode contains spoilers for Episode 1 of Alice & Jack. For Alice & Jack writer and creator Victor Levin, love is a messy business worth fighting for. It often bypasses the rules of reason and logic and throws all kinds of emotional curve balls. But in the end, it's the best thing we have. In this interview, Victor joins us to share his feelings on the nature of love, and what he hopes viewers take away from this series.

WARNING: This episode contains significant spoilers for Season 4 of Miss Scarlet and The Duke. For four seasons, we've watched Eliza Scarlet and William Wellington work together to solve a seemingly endless stream of serpentine mysteries in Victorian era London. But by the fourth episode of Season Four, Eliza and William's relationship is forever changed. Stuart Martin, who has played William Wellington for the past four seasons, will not be returning as the Duke for a fifth season. In this episode, we talk with actor Stuart Martin, and writers Rachael New and Ben Edwards about this momentous shift, and what lies ahead for the future of the show.

Dr. Mark Roodhouse, historical consultant for All Creatures Great & Small, and lecturer in History at the University of York, joins us to discuss his role on the show, and the real-life history behind rationing and black markets in World War II-era Britain. 

WARNING: This episode contains spoilers for Episode 7 of All Creatures Great and Small Season 4.  Lead actor Nicholas Ralph returns to the podcast to reflect on Season Four of All Creatures Great and Small, and how his character, James Herriot, learned to embrace the ever-present uncertainties of life while training a new vet, joining the RAF, and becoming a father.

WARNING: This episode contains spoilers for Episode 6 of Miss Scarlet and The Duke Season 4.  Writers Rachael New and Ben Edwards are back to wrap up Season Four of Miss Scarlet and The Duke. At the end of this season, Eliza steps out of the shadows cast by her father, Nash, and the Duke, and finally hangs her own shingle. This week, Rachael and Ben join us to discuss the Season Four finale, and what this huge shift might mean for Eliza and the show going forward.

WARNING: This episode contains spoilers for Episode 5 of All Creatures Great and Small Season 4.  Actor James Anthony-Rose joins All Creatures Great and Small this season as new veterinarian Richard Carmody. With Tristan away and James leaving for military training, there's a lot of pressure on Richard to succeed in the veterinary practice. Will he rise to the occasion? James discusses how he approached playing the bookish Richard Carmody, and what he shares with his character both on and off the set.

WARNING: This episode contains spoilers for Episode 4 of Miss Scarlet and The Duke Season 4. It's been a trying season for actor Stuart Martin's ‘Duke'. He's been pushed past the point of exhaustion, shot in the arm, in a coma, and now contends with rest and recovery. But as we see a more vulnerable Duke emerge, these events are hardly what occupies his mind. Stuart Martin joins us this week to explore big changes for the Duke, and what his future might hold.

WARNING: This episode contains spoilers for Episode 3 of Miss Scarlet and The Duke Season 4.  In episode 3 of Miss Scarlet and The Duke, writers and spouses Rachael New and Ben Edwards try something new: a flashback episode. We travel back in time to the world of young Eliza and William to witness their formative years and the origins of their relationship. Rachael and Ben join us this week to bring us inside their writing process, and discuss how they arrived at the first ever flashback episode of Miss Scarlet and The Duke.

WARNING: This episode contains spoilers for Episode 2 of All Creatures Great and Small Season 4. Actor Neve McIntosh joins All Creatures Great and Small this season as the organized and rigid Miss Harbottle. Bringing order to chaos is her speciality, and that's what she plans to do at the rather disorderly Skeldale House. But will it be a good fit for the practice? This week, Neve McIntosh shares what makes Miss Harbottle tick, her would-be romance with Siegfried Farnon, and what her long-term visions are for Skeldale House.

WARNING: This episode contains spoilers for Episode 1 of All Creatures Great and Small Season 4. New beginnings are afoot as Jamie Crichton takes over as lead writer for the fourth season of All Creatures Great and Small. With Tristan away and the war encroaching, things aren't quite the same in Darrowby. But these changes leave room for other dynamics to blossom. Jamie shares how he stayed true to the show while exploring new themes of love, humor, and loss.

WARNING: This episode contains spoilers for Episode 6 of World on Fire Season 2.  This season, actor Eugénie Derouand's character, Henriette Guilbert, moves into the foreground. As the Nazis tighten their grip on the hospital, Henriette moves her resistance efforts to the French countryside, where she hides and rehabilitates fallen RAF pilots, and helps them return home. This week, Eugénie Derouand reflects on what motivates Henriette to take such enormous risks. Stay tuned after the interview for real WWII historical commentary from World on Fire historical advisor Richard Overy.

WARNING: This episode contains spoilers for Episode 5 of World on Fire Season 2.  Actor Mark Bonnar turns up the charm this season with his suave and elegant character, Sir James Danemere. But what lies behind this sly demeanor? This week, Mark Bonnar brings us inside the head of Sir James, a man with a sharp sense of the ridiculous. Stay tuned after the interview for real WWII historical commentary from World on Fire historical advisor Richard Overy.