Shakespeare & Hathaway Season 6: Cast Changes, New Characters, Episodes & Where to Watch in the US

There are certain TV shows that seem almost designed for cozy mystery fans, and Shakespeare & Hathaway: Private Investigators has been proving that point since 2018.

Now Frank Hathaway and Lu Shakespeare are back for another round of fun cozy mysteries to solve in Shakespeare & Hathaway Season 6, which premiered in the UK on Wednesday, September 23rd, 2026, at 8pm on U&Alibi.

And that begins another ten-episode collection of murders, oddball suspects, and wonderfully strange cases in and around Stratford-upon-Avon!

Mark Benton and Jo Joyner are both back at the center of the series, but there is a fairly big change this time around. Patrick Walshe McBride’s Sebastian Brudenell will have a much smaller role in Season 6, with a new assistant joining the agency in his place.

There is also romance, a wedding, a dating agency, an AI detective, a cursed film set, competitive bakers, a Shakespeare-themed escape room and, perhaps most importantly, plenty of murder.

What Is Shakespeare & Hathaway About?

Created by Paul Matthew Thompson and the late Jude Tindall, the show first arrived on BBC One in 2018.

The series is set in Stratford-upon-Avon, where Frank Hathaway, played by Mark Benton, is a former police detective who works as a private investigator. Luella “Lu” Shakespeare, played by Jo Joyner, originally hires Frank to investigate her fiancé after she suspects him of cheating.

Without giving away the whole first episode for anyone planning a very long catch-up, things do not exactly go according to plan.

Lu eventually becomes Frank’s business partner, creating the central partnership that has carried the series ever since.

Frank is the more cynical and world-weary of the pair, while Lu is warm, enthusiastic, and far more colorful. They bicker, disagree, and occasionally drive each other mad, but they are also extremely fond of one another.

Then there is Sebastian Brudenell. Played by Patrick Walshe McBride, Sebastian is an actor who has spent much of the series helping Frank and Lu with their investigations.

His acting skills are particularly useful when a case requires someone to go undercover, which happens rather often in the strange world inhabited by the duo.

Season 6, however, changes things.

Frank and Lu Are Both Back for Season 6

The good news is that the two people whose names are above the door are going nowhere.

Joyner has described returning to Lu as being like slipping into a pair of bright, fluffy pink slippers, while Benton has spoken about how special the series and his working partnership with Joyner have become, and their chemistry remains central to the series.

However, fans will notice that one very familiar face is not around nearly as much, and this is probably the biggest change in Season 6.

So, what has happened to Sebastian?

Patrick Walshe McBride has not completely left the show, but Sebastian is no longer a regular presence in every episode.

The explanation within the story is actually rather lovely, where Sebastian finally gets the sort of acting opportunity he has spent years waiting for – his dream role in Los Angeles.

Before heading off, he brings in an old friend from RADA to help Frank and Lu, and that introduces us to Bea Gardiner, played by Aruhan Galieva, who becomes the agency’s new assistant.

For viewers worried that this means Sebastian has disappeared forever, that does not appear to be the case.

Walshe McBride explained that he had a “new arrival” in his real-life family and therefore took a step back while Shakespeare and Hathaway Season 6 was being made. He was still able to appear when circumstances allowed.

Plus, U&Alibi has also made clear that this is not intended as a permanent goodbye to Sebastian.

Meet Bea Gardiner

Taking over many of Sebastian’s duties is Bea Gardiner, who, as mentioned above, is played by Aruhan Galieva.

Bea is also an actress, which gives the writers a very easy way of keeping one of Sebastian’s most useful talents within the team, so when Frank and Lu need somebody to assume a role or help with an undercover investigation, Bea is rather well qualified.

It is a smart way of handling Sebastian’s absence. Rather than simply pretending that nothing has changed, Season 6 gives Sebastian a reason to be away while introducing somebody who can bring a different personality to the group.

Love Is in the Air for Lu

Season 6 is not only about murder, as Lu discovers that her sister Lia is getting married, which becomes one of the threads running through the season.

That raises another question: who is Lu taking to the wedding? Enter Cassius Bennett, played by Tej Obano.

Lu and Cassius become increasingly close, and their relationship appears to be more than a one-episode flirtation. By the time Lia’s wedding arrives later in the season, Cassius has some significant news for Lu.

Frank may also have some romance to think about when we are introduced to Annie, a local baker who has become close to him. Unfortunately, this being Shakespeare & Hathaway, Annie eventually finds herself accused of murder!

Where Can You Watch Shakespeare & Hathaway Season 6 In The US?

For American viewers, BritBox is currently the main home of Shakespeare & Hathaway: Private Investigators.

BritBox US currently carries Seasons 1 through 5, meaning there are 50 earlier episodes available for anyone who wants to catch up.

The situation with Season 6 is less clear. US streaming guides have reported that the sixth season is expected to come to BritBox following its UK run, but BritBox US has not yet published an official Season 6 premiere date.

So American fans may have to wait a little longer for Frank, Lu and Bea’s latest cases, but given that the previous five seasons are already available there, BritBox is certainly the service to watch for an announcement.

And with dating agencies, weddings, bakers, fashion shows, AI detectives, hypnotists, film sets, circus performers, and escape rooms all involved this season, there certainly isn’t any shortage of cases to get into when it airs.