The Marlow Murder Club, only cosier! The Hairdresser Mysteries is a new crime drama full of ‘village secrets’

Aside from our friends, hairdressers – and taxi drivers – are often the people we end up sharing the juiciest details of our lives with. And a new BBC crime drama has this idea at its heart – The Hairdresser Mysteries follows a hair stylist – played by Bridget Jones’ Sally Phillips – who relocates to a small town where her salon becomes the hub of gossip and village secrets. With its tight-knit community and mysterious feel, it’s set to be as fantastic as The Marlow Murder Club, only cosier!

Set in the 70s, The Hairdresser Mysteries follows Lily Petal (Sally Phillips), an upmarket hair stylist who rejects the city’s competitive salon scene, choosing instead to buy a small village shop on a quaint cobbled street. Suddenly becoming the person everyone in the town divulges their secrets to, Lily begins to piece information together. Before long, she’s investigating the mysteries she hears about while shampooing and snipping her clients’ hair.

As we wait for The Hairdresser Mysteries to arrive on our screens, here’s everything you need to know about the series, including the cast, plot and how to watch it.

What is The Hairdresser Mysteries about?

The six-episode series has been described as a ‘nostalgic nod to the 70s’, so it’s set to have a charming retro feel! As we mentioned, the drama follows hairdresser Lily Petal (Sally Phillips) who, disillusioned with city life, opens up a salon in a small village. Soon she finds herself at the heart of gossip and secrets, as clients share all manner of details with her.

The official plot synopsis continues: ‘Everyone tells their hairdresser everything and soon she becomes the hub of her new village’s secrets and revelations. Using her own brand of uncannily developed hairdressing intuition, empathy and understanding, Lily begins to solve the mysteries of the village.’

Two of the show’s executive producers, Will Trotter and Oliver Kent, teased more about the drama, saying: ‘We are thrilled to be making The Hairdresser Mysteries and working with renowned writer, Jim Cartwright, who has created a joyful world packed with colourful characters. None more so than hairdresser Lily Petal and we are delighted to have much-loved actor Sally Phillips bring her to life.’

Another of the show’s producers, Herbert L Kloiber of Night Train Media and Eccho Rights, added: ‘We are delighted to bring The Hairdresser Mysteries to the international stage. The unique world that Jim Cartwright has created – modern but joyfully retro – and Sally Philips’ irresistible charm, create a fun drama that is both clever and comforting.’

Who’s in the cast of The Hairdresser Mysteries?

So far, only Sally Phillips has been announced in the cast of The Hairdresser Mysteries - starring as the lead, Lily Petal - but we’ll update you here when the rest of the cast are revealed.

When can I watch The Hairdresser Mysteries?

The BBC hasn’t shared a release date for The Hairdresser Mysteries just yet, but we’ll update you here as soon as it does.

What other cosy crime dramas can I watch now?

Here’s one that we think is cosy crime at its finest – The Madame Blanc Mysteries, which is set in a French village and stars Sally Lindsay as antiques dealer turned investigator Jean White. You can catch up on series 1 to 4 on Channel 5, or watch series 1 to 3 on Netflix. And things also get cosy in Ludwig, the flawless comedy-mystery starring Motherland’s Anna Maxwell Martin. It’s about a puzzle designer who assumes the identity of his twin brother when he goes missing. The first series is available to stream now on BBC iPlayer.