Review of Andy and Lance's return to TV

Detectorists is a TV treasure as priceless as anything Andy and Lance could ever dig up in the fields around Danebury.  And tonight’s feature-length episode – which came as something of a surprise when it was announced five years after the last one – maintains the delightful low-key, warm and witty humour that fans have come to expect.

A few things have to be reset. It turns out that the gold coins found at the end of the last episode haven’t transformed the metal detecting club’s fortunes – their villainous rivals Simon and Garfunkel saw to that – and the group are fighting for the survival of the scout hall they use for their meeting.

For Andy, there are also tensions at home, since he all-too readily abandoned his long-held dream of being a professional archaeologist. He’s now got his sights on being a thatcher, apparently preferring to drift through life as a dilettante rather than invest effort in anything that might result in success or failure.

These domestic tensions are perhaps a little easily resolved, but that’s forgivable when it allows the plot’s focus to pivot to the beautifully-observed relationship between the two main characters. Typical of many middle-aged men, their emotions are repressed so that however well they know each other they only connect through half-said conversations – and primarily through their shared hobby, rather than directly.

But things are not quite as rosy as they should be at the start. Lance now harbours suspicions about his supposed best mate, so when he makes a promising find, keeps it secret for fear Andy will call in an army of archaeologists to trample over their territory. But it also seems keeping the secret might drive him a little mad.

As always the central performances of Mackenzie Crook, who also wrote the affecting script, and Toby Jone us what makes this 75-minute episode pure joy – although the supporting cast adds texture and wit, especially Rachael Stirling as Andy’s wife Becky, and an hilarious – but too brief – appearance of Simon and Garfunkel (Simon Farnaby and Paul Casar).

Like detecting itself, the show requires a little patience – although it is amply recompensed with characters far richer than most comedies can hope to deliver, and jokes that are gently teased out rather than plainly signposted, yet even the more effective for that.

By now, devoted viewers should know to expect that every small, underplayed moment builds up to a richly rewarding whole. Hopefully some new viewers will discover that too, and find three seasons of back episodes awaiting them.

Review date: 26 Dec 2022
Reviewed by: Steve Bennett