Whitstable Pearl
A British crime drama set in a coastal town.
Whitstable Pearl is a British crime drama produced and broadcast by Acorn TV, adapted from Julie Wassmer’s novels of the same name. The series stars Kerry Godliman as Pearl Nolan, a former police officer and single mother who runs a seafood restaurant in the coastal town of Whitstable while also working as a private detective. So far, three series have aired.
The story follows Pearl, whose adult son has left home, as she investigates the suspicious death of a friend. This brings her into conflict with DCI Mike McGuire, a gruff detective newly arrived from London. The main cast also includes Howard Charles as McGuire, Frances Barber as Pearl’s widowed mother and restaurant co-manager Dolly Nolan, and recurring characters such as Sophia Del Pizzo as DS Nikki Martel, Isobelle Molloy as waitress Ruby Williams, Rohan Nedd as Pearl’s son Charlie, Robert Webb as Pearl’s boyfriend Tom Grant (series 2–3), and Emily Head as McGuire’s girlfriend Kat Bergman (series 2).
Filming for the first season took place in Kent from October 2020 to January 2021, primarily in Whitstable—including the harbour, yacht club, and beach—with additional scenes shot in Margate, the Port of Ramsgate, Dover, and Hernhill. Acorn TV renewed the show for a second and then a third series, with production on the latter beginning in March 2024.
- field
- Television crime drama
- based_on
- Whitstable Pearl novels by Julie Wassmer
- network
- Acorn TV
- starring
- Kerry Godliman, Howard Charles, Frances Barber
- series_count
- 3
Lore & Background
The series follows Pearl Nolan, a single mother of a grown son and an ex-police officer, who runs the Whitstable Pearl seafood restaurant with her mother, Dolly Nolan. When a friend dies under suspicious circumstances, Pearl becomes a private detective and clashes with the new police detective in town, DCI Mike McGuire, played by Howard Charles. The main cast also includes Frances Barber as Dolly Nolan, with recurring characters such as DS Nikki Martel, waitress Ruby Williams, Pearl's son Charlie Nolan, and later Pearl's boyfriend Tom Grant and Mike's girlfriend Kat Bergman.
Reader's Guide
Whitstable Pearl represents a blend of cozy mystery and crime drama, set against the scenic backdrop of the Kent coast. The series has been renewed for three series, with the third beginning production in March 2024. Filming took place primarily in Whitstable, including at the harbour, yacht club, and beach, as well as in Margate, the Port of Ramsgate, Dover, and Hernhill. The show's significance lies in its adaptation of Julie Wassmer's novels and its focus on a female protagonist who balances running a restaurant with detective work, offering a distinct setting and character-driven storytelling within the crime genre.
Did You Know?
- The series is based on the Whitstable Pearl novels by Julie Wassmer.
- Kerry Godliman plays Pearl Nolan, who is both a private detective and a restaurant owner.
- The first season was filmed in Kent from October 2020 to January 2021.
- The third series began production in March 2024.
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