They’re two different mysteries across two different continents, but what Deadwater Fell and Darby & Joan, the two newest drama programs on GPB Passport have in common are family secrets. Premiering Oct. 1 with GPB Passport, find out more about our two latest acquisition series for streaming.

Taking place in a small Scottish village, Deadwater Fell is unmistakably dark, with a cast of characters painted in various tones of morally gray. It starts out innocent enough: schoolchildren preparing for a local village fête, but as any British mystery lover can tell you, village fêtes are prime settings for secrets, betrayal and murder. 

Tom Kendrick offers a glass of wine to his wife Kate, who sits and looks pensive

The story centers around Dr. Tom Kendrick, a local GP played by David Tennant in a particularly creepy role. He’s the sole survivor of a house fire that has claimed the lives of his wife, Kate, (Anna Madeley, All Creatures Great and Small) and their three daughters, after the local celebrations begin to show fractures in their marriage, as well as their friendship with couple Jess Milner, a friend and co-worker of Kate’s (Cush Jumbo, Vera), and her boyfriend Steve Campbell, a local police officer (Matthew McNulty, The Paradise). While the small town of Kirkdarroch is understandably shaken by the fire and those who perished in it, the pivotal question around the four-episode show shifts from asking who murdered Kate and the kids to why did it happen, as all three main adult characters have secrets they preferred to have stayed hidden until guilt (and for some, a desire to change) forces them to be honest, changing everything they thought they knew about each other.

Consisting of four episodes, Deadwater Fell is an easy binge-watch for those who prefer streaming a slow-burn mystery all at once. And with the creator of the Grantchester TV show at its helm, Daisy Coulam, you can expect a character-driven narrative that keeps viewers guessing.

Deadwater Fell is available for streaming with GPB Passport starting Oct. 1.

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Half a world away in Queensland, Australia, recently widowed English nurse Joan Kirkhope (Greta Scacchi, Miss Austen Regrets) is looking for answers. After the disappearance and death of her husband in Australia (after he’d lied to Joan, telling her he was on a trip to Spain instead), she packs up her life in England and sets off in Queensland in an RV, an unhelpful GPS (it’s giving her distances in kilometers, not miles!) and eventually, a hitchhiker in the form of Jack Darby (Bryan Brown, The Thorn Birds), a retired police officer who has taken to the road after a difficult period in his life. While the two are thrown together by chance, they end up teaming up to solve an array of small-town mysteries in Joan’s journey for solving her own family mystery while Jack must reconcile with the life he’s running from. 

Joan is driving on the left of the car while Jack sits in the passenger seat

Lighter than Deadwater Fell and full of picturesque locations across Australia’s Eastern coastline, Darby & Joan is a feel-good and character-driven series where the growing friendship between Jack and Joan becomes just as important as the mystery of the week and the show’s broader secrets left to be uncovered. They begin to learn more about each other and realize they need each other’s support, as Joan uncovers the truth about her husband over the course of Season 1’s eight episodes. However, the second season’s broader mystery focuses on Jack and his past, giving him ample time as the center of the season’s main case. 

Whether you want to binge or watch an episode at a time, Darby & Joan is full of fascinating mysteries, sharp wit, beautiful Australian scenery (including Joan experiencing Christmas in Australia for the first time!) and two people experiencing a new, unexpected stage of their lives. It's best enjoyed with a lamington (or two!), just like Jack insists Joan samples as they travel throughout the countryside. 

Darby & Joan is available for streaming with GPB Passport starting Oct. 1.

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