How to watch Detectorists - what’s it about and who’s in the cast?
This pearl of a TV show disappeared from both iPlayer and Netflix short after it ended. But will it come back for more?
Andy and Lance might not be the best at finding treasures, but we've discovered a real gem with this show. Mackenzie Crook gave up on Pirates of the Caribbean to make this, and we will be eternally grateful.
What is Detectorists about?
Detectorists is about two metal detectorists. Andy (played by Mackenzie Crook) and Lance (Toby Jones) live in a little town in Essex and spend their free time digging up mostly scrap metal with their friends at the Danebury Metal Detecting Club.
Yet the show is about so much more than that. It is a beautifully real slice of life that talks in a very raw way about relationships and parenthood and finding your place in the world.
Where can I watch Detectorists?
Detectorists is currently on no streaming site or catch up TV platform. It first aired on BBC Four and series one and two used to be available on Netflix but were removed in December 2018.
With BBC and ITV launching their joined streaming site BritBox, there is still hope that the show will return on there.
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In the meantime, it is available to buy on YouTube and Google Play for £1.99 per episode.
Where is Detectorists set?
The series is set in a fictional small town in northern Essex called Danebury, where Andy and Lance are members of the Danebury Metal Detecting Club
Where is Detectorists filmed?
Although it is set in Essex, the show was in fact filmed in Suffolk, in and around the town of Framlingham, which has a population of just over 3,000 people.
Framlingham's scout hall doubles as the home of the Danebury Metal Detecting Club, while the nearby pub, the Castle Inn, provides the exterior for Lance and Andy's local.
BBC, TL Channel X/Chris Harris/BBC
Who stars in Detectorists?
The two main roles in Detectorists, Andy and Lance are played by Mackenzie Crook, who rose to fame playing Gareth Keenan in The Office, and Toby Jones.
Supporting cast includes Rachael Stirling as Becky, Andy's girlfriend and Lucy Benjamin as Lance’s New Age ex-wife Maggie.
How many seasons of Detectorists are there?
There have been three series of Detectorists since it premiered in 2015.
Just before it aired on BBC Four, series creator Mackenzie Crook said he didn't plan on keeping the show going after series three.
“I took a year off to figure out whether I wanted to do any more, whether there was any more in there; yes, it took a while to realise that I did want to do six more episodes to finish,” he said. “I don’t want to make any sort of big, dramatic announcement that ‘never again’, but I can’t see myself going back to it.”
How many episodes of Detectorists are there?
In true British fashion, this gem of a show is made up of a staggering 19 episodes, including a Christmas special.
Who wrote Detectorists?
Detectorists was written and directed by Mackenzie Crook, who also stars in it in the leading role of Andy. The show is definitely Crook’s passion project – he turned down lucrative work on Pirates of the Caribbean sequels for it.
In series three, Crooks was joined behind the typewriter by Andrew Ellard, who previously worked as a script supervisor on shows of the likes of The IT Crowd.
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Who did the soundtrack for Detectorists?
The theme song of the show is Johnny Flynn’s original song titled 'Detectorists'. He appears in the show as Johnny Piper, singing the song in a live performance at the White Horse.
