Hello, DOLLY!

FRANCES BARBER on her coastal whodunnit sailing on to a new streaming service

- HANNAH DAVIES

WHITSTABLE PEARL FROM TUESDAY 16 JULY, U DRAMA

Frances Barber relishes playing razor-sharp restaurateur Dolly Nolan in Kent-set crime drama Whitstable Pearl. So the acclaimed actor is delighted that the second series of the warm-hearted whodunnit, which debuted on Acorn TV in 2022, is arriving on UKTV’s revamped free-to-air streaming service U this week (see right).

‘I can’t tell you how thrilled we are! We love making the show and are over the moon that it’ll be on U so more people will see it,’ smiles Frances, 66, as she joins TV Times for an exclusive interview.

‘We recently finished filming Season 3 in Whitstable and everybody stopped us to say how much they enjoy the banter between me and Kerry Godliman as mother and daughter Dolly and Pearl.’