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The Hairdresser Mysteries review – Sally Phillips gifts us the most bananas daytime TV ever
Sally Phillips stars in The Hairdresser Mysteries, a new cosy crime series set in the fictional village of Blossom Vale, where her character Lily Petal opens a salon that hasn't been touched since the 1970s and finds herself solving local murders alongside assistant Clary (Charlotte Jordan). The Guardian's review praises the show as astonishingly strange even by the low bar of daytime TV drama, calling it possibly the most bizarre example of the genre in living memory, and argues it matters as a bold, singular piece of British broadcasting rather than a conventional whodunnit.
The review highlights the show's relentless retro nostalgia, from Lily's corduroy flares and Hot Chocolate obsession to a Viking-themed chip shop called Valhalla With Chips!, alongside jarringly cheerful murder plots in which even killers turn out to be remorseful "good eggs". Each episode reportedly closes with a singalong to a 1970s pop hit such as Sister Sledge's We Are Family, reinforcing the show's determinedly cosy, sugar-sweet tone despite its violent storylines.
In short
- Sally Phillips leads new BBC cosy crime series The Hairdresser Mysteries
- Guardian review calls it bizarrely nostalgic, among strangest daytime dramas ever
- Set in 1970s-style salon in fictional village Blossom Vale
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
The show represents valuable creative risk-taking in British television, refusing conventional genre expectations to offer something genuinely fresh and singular. By embracing total retro immersion and treating crime with cheerful cosiness, it creates an intentional fantasy space where viewers enjoy both genres without the heaviness either would carry alone. In a landscape of safe, formulaic programming, this willingness to be genuinely odd and uncompromising matters as bold, distinctive broadcasting.
The case against
The show's strangeness appears to mask creative confusion rather than genuine boldness, pairing murder narratives with relentless whimsy and saccharine resolutions that undermine both elements. The mysteries lack real stakes whilst the cosiness is compromised by constant violence, creating incoherence rather than innovation. Rather than commit to either dark comedy or wholesome entertainment, the show splices disparate elements without a coherent artistic vision, mistaking oddness for originality.
Explained simply
Sally Phillips stars in The Hairdresser Mysteries, a new cosy crime drama set in the village of Blossom Vale. Her character, Lily Petal, runs a hair salon and solves local murders alongside her assistant Clary, played by Charlotte Jordan.
The show is saturated with 1970s nostalgia, featuring period clothing, music, and set decoration that extends even to a Viking-themed chip shop called Valhalla With Chips! Despite its murder plots, the series maintains a deliberately cheerful tone, with even the killers portrayed as sympathetic characters who feel genuine remorse.
Each episode concludes with a singalong to a 1970s pop song. This combination of cosy, sugar-sweet styling alongside genuinely strange creative elements makes the show a distinctive example of British daytime television drama.
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