Detectorists

What’s it about?

Detectorists follows two friends searching for buried treasure in the English countryside, navigating friendship, romance, rivalry and everyday life.

Starring

Mackenzie Crook, Toby Jones, Rachael Stirling, Gerard Horan, Pearce Quigley, Divian Ladwa, Laura Checkley, Sophie Thompson

An Introduction to Detectorists

Detectorists opens with a simple close-up of an insect, nothing overstimulating and no sense of urgency. The saying, “all good things come to those who wait”, could well be the motto of our galant heroes, Andy (The Office UK’s Mackenzie Crook) and Lance (The MCU’s Toby Jones): the Detectorists of the title. They sweep a ploughed field with their trusty metal detectors, in search of history, interesting oddities and maybe, just maybe, something that could change their lives.

The pair are members of the Danebury Metal Detecting Club, where Terry (London’s Burning’s Gerard Horan), the retired policeman who is president of the club, presents a slide show about buttons. He believes buttons are often overlooked and deserve their moment, and the assembled group nods along dutifully.

Andy and Lance are chaps who’ve comfortably settled into each-other’s company, sharing the screen and exchanging lighthearted banter about treasure and the overall injustices of their hobby.

Home life also gets a look in, thanks to Becky (Tipping The Velvet’s Rachael Stirling), Andy’s girlfriend and primary school teacher, whose smarts and ambition seem the opposite of Andy, yet their love and mutual respect holds strong.

Then a new person arrives at the club. Young history student Sophie (Slow Horses‘ Aimee-Ffion Edwards) walks in, which makes Detectorist Russell (Small Prophets’ Pearce Quigley) sit up a bit straighter and sharpen himself up in a manner that is subtly hilarious. Her introduction leads Andy and Lance in the direction of a potentially life-changing discovery, and all they need is the permission of the local landowner, a slightly unhinged fellow rumoured to have killed his wife. All of these individuals approach the hobby with the seriousness that most of us reserve for pensions and mortgages.

Summary

Detectorists is a British comedy that aired on BBC Four in 2014 for three series, with additional Christmas specials in 2015 and 2022. It was written and directed by Mackenzie Crook, who also stars as Andy Stone, with Toby Jones starring as his friend Lance Stater. The two men are members of the Danebury Metal Detecting Club in the fictional north Essex town of Danebury, although the cameras actually filmed in the real town of Framlingham, Suffolk, where the fields did a sterling job of standing in for Essex.

Andy and Lance while away their time working through ploughed fields and open spaces, hoping for a signal in their headphones that will bring them good fortune and/or a memorable historical find. Between electronic bleeps and careful unearthings, they natter about their lives, their loves and whatever the day has unearthed, giving the series its rhythm.

The Danebury Metal Detecting Club is a small society of enthusiasts who meet regularly to present their finds. Terry, the retired policeman presides, with the rest of the membership consisting of his wife, Sheila (Sophie Thompson), and other Detectorists Russell, Hugh (Divian Ladwa), Louise (Laura Checkley) and Varde (Orion Ben). A running joke is “don’t call them Metal Detectors” as they go to great pains to point out that a metal detector is the name given to the equipment they use, not the user of said equipment.

Lance is still pining for his ex-wife Maggie (Lucy Benjamin) who runs a New Age supplies shop, and Andy lives with Becky, a primary school teacher. Sophie, a young history student, joins the circle early on and brings a fresh face to the club to be awkward around.

There’s also a bit of friction when a rival detecting club tries to muscle in on some prime areas, risking our heroes losing out on discovering significant finds such as the last resting place of King Sexred of the East Saxons – the Holy Grail of metal detecting.

There’s a charming, daft tenderness in seeing grown-ups getting worked-up over a freshly exhumed button, and Detectorists embraces that sentiment with genuine warmth and affection. The 2015 BAFTA for Television Scripted Comedy was won by Detectorists, showing that a leisurely-paced and enjoyably comforting show still has a place in a busy, short-attention-span schedule.

Check out the Series Trailer here: