'Dalgliesh' Season 3: Everything We Know So Far about the New Chapter of the Compelling Crime Drama

Season 3 of "Dalgliesh" has been highly anticipated by crime show lovers following the show's second season two-part finale. While some details around the series' renewal remain a mystery, other clues have been revealed.

"Dalgliesh" is a British crime series starring Bertie Carvel as Adam Dalgliesh, an enigmatic poet who steps into the world of crime as a detective. Following the show's six-part premiere in November 2021, season 3 of "Dalgliesh" has been the talk of the town among fans.

Speculation has swirled about when viewers can expect the new season to drop and who to expect to return. This detail is especially exciting following the will-they-or-won't-they trope between two of the show's stars.

"Dalgliesh" is based on the Inspector Adam Dalgliesh novels by author P.D. James. The collection of books consists of 14 novels; however, the previous seasons of "Dalgliesh" have not followed the stories chronologically and see Dalgliesh taking on new murder cases with a new cast as well.

Carvel has received high praise for his portrayal of Detective Dalgliesh. Catherine Mackin, the Managing Director at Acorn Media Enterprises, said the actor delivered the role with an unmatched level of sophistication and lasting charm.

Acclaimed screenwriter and playwright Helen Edmundson, commonly known for her work on "The Suspicions of Mr. Whicher," — starring Paddy Considine — "An Inspector Calls," and "Small Island," returned as the lead writer for season 2 of "Dalgliesh."

Stewart Harcourt, who wrote for "Maigret," — starring Rowan Atkinson — "Hearts and Bones," and "Treasure Island," — co-starring Benedict Cumberbatch and David Oyelowo —also joined the writing team, with directors Andy Tohill and Ryan Tohill directing a few episodes.

The Ending of 'Dalgliesh' Season 2 Explained

In season 1 of "Dalgliesh," the audience is introduced to the published poet and Detective Chief Inspector Adam Dalgliesh. Despite his mysterious aura and shielding of his personal life, Dalgliesh employs much empathy and tact as he dives into the depths of the human psyche while investigating complex crimes in mid-1970s England.

In the show's second season, viewers learn Dalgliesh is a recent widower, grieving the loss of his wife and child. On the other hand, his co-worker, DS Kate Miskin — played by Carlyss Peer — has developed feelings for him.

On July 6, 2001, Acorn TV took to Twitter to reveal "Dalgliesh" would be renewed for a third season.

However, Dalgliesh remains focused on his career. While deciding between his writing career and police work, he is back to solve a murder case at the family-owned Dupayne Museum, managed by three sibling trustees and housed in an unsettling Victorian mansion.

Upon arrival, Dalgliesh learns that his work is cut out for him as he arrives at a hostile family dynamic, a murder scene, and a case of arson. The dilemma is intensified when the first body is identified as one of the trustee siblings.

Another dead body is found in The Murder Room — home to artifacts from gruesome murders from the earlier part of the twentieth century — of the mansion. Throughout the season, Dalgliesh and his team work tirelessly to uncover the murderer.

They eventually do, and the second season ends on a bitter-sweet note, as Dalgliesh officially leaves poetry behind for a life as a newly promoted Commander. He also negotiates a promotion for Miskin, meaning the pair would see less of each other.

Will There Be a Season 3 of 'Dalgliesh'?

AMC Networks' Acorn TV streams "Dalgliesh" in North America, New Zealand, Australia, Argentina, Chile, and Mexico, while Channel 5 takes the UK. On July 6, 2022, Acorn TV took to Twitter to reveal that "Dalgliesh" would be renewed for a third season.

Channel 5/Paramount UK Deputy Chief Content Officer Sebastian Cardwell said, "'Dalgliesh' proved incredibly popular with our viewers, and I'm delighted to be working again with New Pictures to bring to life even more stories from P.D James' crime novels."

It remains unclear which of the remaining novels season 3 of "Dalgliesh" will follow.

Peer, who plays Miskin, also expressed her excitement to continue bringing James' crime novels to life and revealed she enjoyed being a part of something people loved and working on a project everyone believed in.

Peer's character really comes into her own as a detective throughout the show but has a turbulent relationship with Dalgliesh's character. Aside from falling in love with him, the colleagues also have to work around the air of awkwardness after Miskin cried in Dalgliesh's arms after she killed a murderer.

"I know Kate's journey in that is yet to be confirmed, but the things they have mentioned, I think, will be an exciting twist for the audience as well," Peer shared.

'Dalgliesh' Season 3 Cast

While Bertie Carvel is expected to return as Adam Dalgliesh, the jury is still out about Miskin's future in the show in light of her promotion at the end of the show's second season. Alistair Brammer, who plays DS Daniel Tarrant, joined the show in season 2 and is also expected to feature in season 3.

Plenty of new faces are also expected to appear in season 3 of "Dalgliesh," with some of them assuming permanent roles. At the time of writing, no release date had been confirmed. However, according to reports, filming is set to commence this year.

Following the premiere of season 1 in November 2021, season 2's episodes were dropped in April 2023. Thus, new episodes of season 3 of "Dalgliesh" are expected to arrive in 2024.

It remains unclear which of the remaining novels season 3 of "Dalgliesh" will follow. Season 1 began with "Shroud for a Nightingale," which is book number 4, followed by book 5, "The Black Tower," and book 7, " A Taste for Death."

Season 2 began with book 6, "Death of an Expert Witness, followed by book 10, "A Certain Justice," and book 12, "The Murder Room." However, there are still plenty more novels from the collection to choose from, continuing to make "Dalgliesh" one of the best crime drama shows that will have you glued to the screen.