Filming has wrapped on Whitstable Pearl season 3, which means new episodes of Acorn TV’s charming coastal crime drama are on the horizon - and now we have a brand new trailer!
Inspired by Julie Wassmer’s murder-mystery novel series, the new outing will follow Kerry Godliman as restaurateur-turned-PI Pearl Nolan, as she uncovers a series of colourful new crimes in Kent.
Also returning are Frances Barber as Pearl's razor-sharp mother, Dolly, Howard Charles as brooding DCI Mike McGuire and Robert Webb (who joined in season 2) as laidback supply teacher Tom Grant.
When What To Watch caught up with Frances last month for this interview, we held back some of her exciting news about season 3 in order not to disclose spoilers for the launch of season 2 on U. Now, however, here’s the second part of that lovely and very interesting chat where the fabulous star tells us what to expect from Whitstable Pearl season 3…
Warning — spoilers beyond this point
Whitstable Pearl season 3 — release date
Whitstable Pearl series 3 will air exclusively on Acorn TV on Monday, 21 October 2024 with Episode 1, then weekly on subsequent Mondays.
In the meantime seasons 1 and 2 of Whitstable Pearl are available on Acorn TV and on free-to-air streaming service U
We will update this guide when Whitstable Pearl 3 becomes available to watch on other platforms.
“We've literally just finished on season three and we're over the moon because, when we were filming in Whitstable everybody stopped us and said how much they enjoy the banter between me and Kerry as mother and daughter,” says Frances when she joins What To Watch for an exclusive chat. “It’s just been joyous, I can't tell you how happy we are [to return] because we love it and we're like a family now too!”
Whitstable Pearl season 3 — first look image and information
From Acorn: "The Whitstable Pearl restaurant is thriving and so is Pearl’s detective sideline. After a short hiatus, DCI Mike McGuire returns to Whitstable, re-energised and determined to make progress in his quest for self-healing. He and Pearl continue to make a formidable team as they work through various cases together – Pearl never needing Mike’s help as much as he needs hers.
"As cracks start to show in Pearl and Tom’s relationship and Mike finally comes to terms with how his wife died, will Pearl and Mike acknowledge their deep feelings for one another?"
Whitstable Pearl season 3 — cast and characters
Confirmed returning stars are Kerry Godliman as the eponymous Pearl Nolan, Frances Barber as her man-eating mother, Dolly Nolan, Howard Charles as Pearl’s sometime love interest DCI Mike McGuire and Robert Webb as her season 2 squeeze, supply teacher Tom Grant.
“Tom has sustained his relationship with Pearl into season three, but Dolly wants to shake her because she thinks Tom is boring and knows that her daughter is in love with McGuire.”
Also returning are Rohan Nedd as Pearl's son Charlie Nolan and Isobelle Molloy as Ruby Williams.
“The kids, Ruby and Charlie, are back! In the second series, Charlie went off to Canada because that's where he thinks his father is, and Ruby’s heartbroken because she loves him. But in the third series, he comes back from Canada and… actually that’s all I can say at the minute!”
Its unconfirmed if Emily Head (The Inbetweeners) will be returning as Kat Bergman after her character split up with Mike at the end of season two. It's also currently unknown if Geoff Bell (His Dark Materials) will be returning as Dolly's squeeze Bill Tait. However, Sophia del Pizzo will be reprising her role as as fan favourite DS Nikki Martel.
Check out this first look clip of Pearl and Mike reuniting after three months apart in season 3 of Whitstable Pearl.
Whitstable Pearl season 3— episodes
Frances has provided insight into some of the adventures viewers can expect in series three:
“What's going to be interesting for those who stick with us and watch season three is that Howard has gotten really fit. As he’s lost weight since we shot season two, they've put in this whole subplot about Mike going on a journey of self-discovery in order to come to terms with the death of his wife. She had a bucket list that she wasn’t able to fulfil, so he does it for her.
“In the third series you’ll also see Dolly do a bit of detective work! In fact, not ‘a bit’, quite a lot actually. This is for one very practical reason - Kerry wasn't available for three weeks because she had to go to America and Dolly says, ‘Well, yes my daughter is a private detective, but I taught her everything she knows!’ So that solved that and I loved playing detective in some quite tricky storylines about murdering food critics and all kinds of stuff!”
Season 3 of Whitstable Pearl will follow in the footsteps of its predecessors and continue with its 6 x 45 minute episode format. See our episode guide below for more.
Whitstable Pearl — season 3 episodes
Episode 1
Girl, Whitstable Beach
Premieres Monday, October 21 on Acorn TV
Series three returns with a new mystery involving a local woman and mum of twins, who’s spotted on the beach seven years after her disappearance. As every element of the show is evolving, from the main players to increasingly complex cases, the denouement is unexpected!
Meanwhile, Pearl and Tom are the picture of contentment, as is Mike after a three month sabbatical - but will it last?
Guest stars: Penny Downie (Izzy), Sally Ann Triplett (Val), Rob Compton (Luke), Lauren Akosia (Jenny), Connor Curren (Joey).
Episode 2
Death, the Devil and the Fool
Premieres Monday, October 28 on Acorn TV
A little girl goes missing at the Whitstable Psychic Fair and skeptical Pearl has to join forces with a psychic to help find her.
Guest stars: Rachel Woodward Carlton (Flora), Kacey Ainsworth (Cassie) Jaye Jacobs (Tanya Thomas), Marc Baylis (Paul Thomas).
Episode 3
Oysters Kilpatrick
Premieres Monday, November 4 on Acorn TV
Just as Pearl allows herself a luxury weekend away with Tom, a food critic drops dead in the Whitstable Pearl. Will she come home or stay with Tom?
Guest stars: Rufus Jones (Theo), David Verrey (Paddy), Evan (Tom Tidiman), Isis Davis (Roxy).
Episode 4
Prisoners of the Past
Premieres Monday, November 11 on Acorn TV
Pearl is pulled away from Whitstable when she realises that Charlie is back in the UK. But why hasn't he told her he's returned from Canada and now living in London?
With her gut telling her to find him and desperate to know if he's okay, Pearl heads to that there London to look for her son. Initially it's a near-impossible task, but fortunately a former colleague and close friend of Mike's is on hand to help, which leads to Pearl making a discovery about the grieving detective's past. Why are both Mike and Charlie keeping secrets from her?
Meanwhile, in Whitstable, the release of convicted murderer, Phil Nevin, ruffles feathers - especially for Dolly, Nikki's mum Janet, and retired detective Dickie.
Mike and Nikki see things from a different perspective, however, and decide to do some digging into the 30-year-old case as Phil continues to pled his innocence. Is there more going on here than meets the eye?
Guest stars: Kate Robbins (Janet), Dave Johns (Phil Nevin), Francesca Knight (Paula Nevin), Bamshad Abedi-Amin (Lee), Sam Phillips (Roy), Larry Lamb (Dickie Masters), Vicki Michelle (Patti), Adil Akram (Omran Malik).
Episode 5
Walking with Ghosts
Premieres Monday, November 18 on Acorn TV
Halloween gets even spookier when a ghost tour guide sees a body being buried on the beach in Whitstable. But Pearl wants to know where the body’s gone?
Guest stars: David Hargreaves (Jason Cranage), Rupert Hill (Ian Cranage), Hersha Verity (Freya Cranage), Leanne Rowe (Greta Waterford).
Episode 6
Someone Like Me
Premieres Monday, November 25 on Acorn TV
A taxi driver turns up dead with a bullet through his head and an investment banker is nearly assassinated. Pearl goes to investigate who wants him dead.
Whitstable Pearl season 3 — filming locations
The Kent-set series is back on homeground for the third season.
“It was just gorgeous to be back filming the third series in Whitstable. In the second series the viewers saw a lot more of Kent because they branched out a bit, and so, there are some scenes in Dover and in Margate - which felt like coming home for me because I filmed Dreamland in Margate there with Lily Allen and Sheila Reed and absolutely loved it,” says Frances.
“Kent, as we know, is the Garden of England and is beautiful, I think American viewers particularly will love to see it. At one point, during filming someone came up to Howard and said they’d been looking for Pearl’s restaurant for a year, and Howard had to tell them, ‘I’m so sorry but it's in a studio in Limehouse!’ The exterior is in Whitstable, the interior is in a big studio setting because otherwise there's no room for the cameras!”
Whitstable Pearl season 3 — guest stars
There is a treasure trove of guest stars in Whitstable Pearl season 3! From Kate Robbins and Larry Lamb to Penny Downie and Vicki Michelle. See our episode guide above for more details.
Past guest stars have included Jo Martin, Nicola Stephenson, Leon Ockenden, Leah Brotherhead, Oliver Dench, Rishi Nair, Annette Badland and Stephanie Beacham.
Speaking about the popularity of the series, Frances says: “Whitstable Pearl is a bit off the wall, while also being warm and funny - we love the humour in it and that it’s a little bit camp! Also, Whitstable is so filmic. It looks like a lovely sleepy seaside town, yet it lends itself to all kinds of shenanigans each week! I know it sounds cliche, but we do genuinely feel a bit of family now; it's such a joy to see everybody and mess about with them. We also do a lot of improvising on the day, which is really fun.”
Frances on working with Acorn TV
“As well as Whitstable Pearl, I’m in The Chelsea Detective with Adrian Scarborough, which is also Acorn - we’re going into our third series with it as well! I love Acorn. I absolutely love them. It’s like they've got a little rep company going and we’re thrilled about it.”
Is there a trailer for Whitstable Pearl season 3?
Yes, you can get a taste of all the drama to come in the new trailer...
Whitstable Pearl — season 3 additional information
Whitstable Pearl is an Acorn TV Original Series produced by the UK independent production company Buccaneer.
It’s executive produced by Tony Wood and Richard Tulk-Hart for Buccaneer, Catherine Mackin and Bea Tammer for Acorn Media Enterprises (Acorn TV), Øystein Karlsen, Mike Walden and Julie Wassmer.
Debbie Pisani serves as producer.
Mike Walden returns as writer alongside Sarah Louise Hawkins, Joe Ainsworth, Ciara Conway and Kit Lambert.
David Sant and Steve Brett serve as directors.
Whitstable Pearl is distributed internationally by Cineflix Rights.
Want to know more about series three of Whitstable Pearl? Check out our interview with Kerry Godliman, as she reveals all on new star-studded series
