‘Miss Scarlet’ is shedding the Duke

Q: Why did the Duke leave “Miss Scarlet & the Duke”? Will he return or be recast?

A: Kate Phillips, who played Victorian private detective Miss Eliza Scarlet, will indeed be without Stuart Martin as William “The Duke” Wellington when the series returns for a fifth season on “Masterpiece” on PBS. The character has been written out of the show with the explanation that Wellington has gone to America. In a statement from the show, Martin said that “it felt like the time was right for Scarlet to explore new stories and challenges for now, as the show continues to grow and evolve.”

The show, retitled simply as “Miss Scarlet,” will have “new crimes, new friends, new foes and new romance,” said series creator Rachel New. That romance may well include Wellington’s replacement at Scotland Yard: Alexander Blake, played by Tom Durant Pritchard. “Masterpiece” says returning characters include “Evan McCabe as Detective Fitzroy, Cathy Belton as Ivy, Felix Scott as Patrick Nash, Paul Bazely as Clarence, Simon Ludders as Mr. Potts and Tim Chipping as Detective Phelps.”

Q: Is TV’s “Reacher” going to be a series? If so, when is the next season?

A: “Reacher,” starring Alan Ritchson as the character from Lee Child’s books, is already a series. Two eight-episode seasons are showing on Amazon Prime Video. A third season is coming, possibly by the end of the year. You also can find Ritchson at movie theaters, where he is co-starring in “The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare.”

Q: I just finished watching the second season of “Will Trent.” Will there be a third?

A: Yes. And the wonderful drama has not completed its second season yet. The season finale is coming May 21.

A: Peacock has ordered a second season of the fun, “Columbo”-esque mystery series starring Natasha Lyonne, although I have not yet seen an airdate. Viewers can catch up on the first season’s 10 episodes on Peacock.

Q: I have read that the television series “Monk” has inspired a movie. Is this true? If so, when is it likely to reach the theaters?

A: I think you heard about “Mr. Monk’s Last Case: A Monk Movie,” a feature film with Tony Shalhoub returning as crime-solver Adrian Monk along with other returning cast members from the 2002-2009 TV series. But the film was not made for theaters. Instead, it aired on the streaming service Peacock late in 2023, and you still can find it there.

Q: I remember seeing parts of a movie on television about Canadian hockey great Maurice”Rocket” Richard. I’m not sure when, maybe two or three years ago. I believe the title was “Rocket.” Is that available anywhere?

A: I believe you saw part of a movie called “The Rocket,” which came out in 2005. It has been released on DVD and Blu-ray (but look carefully when ordering because of other movies called “The Rocket”). I also found it on YouTube.