Only Murders in the Building season six will take the murder-solving trio to the United Kingdom, with Hulu’s London-set mystery arriving December 8. The new season will also feature Olivia Colman, Martin Freeman, three former Doctor Who stars and a host of other British acting legends.
The hit Hulu series has been a late-summer fixture since its 2021 debut, but the sixth season will premiere roughly three months later than the show’s usual late-August or early-September launch. The move to filming in the U.K., along with other scheduling factors, made the delay unavoidable.
Showrunner and executive producer John Hoffman says the later release has one major advantage: Some episodes will carry a Christmas-season atmosphere. “There’s a good holiday treat coming your way: a bit of murder in London,” he says.
A new murder mystery for Charles, Oliver and Mabel
At the end of season five, podcast star Cinda Canning (Tina Fey) — or someone who looked remarkably like her, complete with deep-red frizzy hair — appeared to die on the sidewalk outside the Arconia. Her death occurred on the same day that Canning’s new U.K.-set podcast, The Girl With the Curls, was released.
In a macabre but comedic twist, the victim grabbed the Arconia’s gate with one hand just before she died. That gives Charles (Steve Martin), Oliver (Martin Short) and Mabel (Selena Gomez) a reason to investigate the killing on their podcast. “It was technically a murder in the building because she did it with her last gasp,” Hoffman says. “But the question is, what was going on with her? That is what our trio is off to investigate.”
The New York podcasters will be joined by an extensive cast of British performers, including Olivia Colman; former Doctor Who leads David Tennant, Peter Capaldi and Jodie Whittaker; Spice Girl Geri Halliwell; Absolutely Fabulous stars Jennifer Saunders and Jane Horrocks; and comedy actors Nicola Coughlan, Richard Ayoade and Jamie Demetriou.
Other familiar British faces appearing in the season include Martin Freeman, Jim Broadbent, Derek Jacobi, Lesley Nicol, Amar Chadha-Patel, Adrian Lukis and Simone Ashley. With much of the story taking place away from New York and the Arconia, Hoffman says the series “needed an entire cast of people” to expand its world.
“But what’s most remarkable about the expansion is not a one of them don’t find their way seamlessly into the ensemble of it all,” he says, crediting Meryl Streep’s season-three appearance as an example. “Everybody sort of drops all pretense. Everyone’s laughing all day and doing things that are very specific and fantastic.”
Could Camilla have appeared in Only Murders in the Building?
Hoffman revealed that the production briefly considered casting Camilla, the wife of King Charles, in season six. “We almost got Camilla,” Hoffman said, referring to King Charles’s wife. “I know it’s insane, but yes, there was a moment.”
The idea became a real possibility after Hoffman’s casting team told him that booking the Queen Consort was not entirely out of reach. “I was like, ‘Wait, what? Is that real?” he laughed. “Then we kind of went down the road a little bit.”
The appearance ultimately did not happen, partly because strict U.K. union rules limit the amount of time actors can work on set each day. “You’re only shooting ten-hour days, no more.”
Hoffman said the logistical demands of bringing Camilla to the production could have disrupted the tightly scheduled shoot. “I did pursue it a little bit, until I realized it’s going to be a whole thing,” he said.
As for Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, Hoffman joked: “When is she traveling? We’re leaving in three days,” before adding, tongue firmly in cheek: “I wouldn’t rule anything out.”
Martin Freeman faces off against Charles
Although Hoffman remains guarded about the season’s specific plot details, he confirmed that several major guest stars will have important roles. Martin Freeman’s character will encounter a British version of Brazzos, the fictional television series that briefly made Charles famous.
“Martin Freeman will go toe-to-toe at some point with Charles as to who’s the better Brazzos,” Hoffman said.
That detail suggests Freeman may be playing a counterpart to Martin’s character, but the production is not yet ready to confirm the exact nature of the role. Hoffman did confirm that none of the famous British performers will appear as themselves.
“Everyone is playing a character,” Hoffman said. “If you’re going to come here, it’s to really craft characters that live and breathe in the country’s certain tradition and then subvert that tradition.”
Jennifer Saunders’ character draws on Vivienne Westwood
Hoffman also said Jennifer Saunders will be connected in some way to the Brazzos reboot. Her character was inspired by Vivienne Westwood, the influential British fashion designer who died in 2022.
“I had an incredible time many years ago working on a screenplay with Brian Grazer and Ron Howard on the life of Vivienne Westwood,” he said. “So I spent a lot of time here in London developing that screenplay with her.”
Although the film was never made, Hoffman and the writers revisited his research while developing season six. “I said, ‘Okay, there’s all of this information I have based on her. Is there anything we can do with that?’”
The result will be reflected in Saunders’ character, who will “lean into the fashion-design world in great British style, with a tip of the hat to the great Vivienne.”
Olivia Colman joins the female mystery story
Colman’s role remains largely under wraps, but Hoffman suggested that her character will connect to the season’s focus on women and Britain’s long tradition of mystery fiction.
“I can’t give away much of what Olivia’s playing, although this is a season which leans very much into the female mystery side of things.” Hoffman teased. “The U.K. is the home of Agatha Christie. This is where Cinda Canning might have met her maker in some way. And all of them are following along in the tradition of the cozy murder mystery. Olivia is in that line, as well as a memoirist.”
Hoffman said the season will combine Britain’s mystery heritage with the modern world of crime podcasts. “the world of true-crime podcasting. That’s the mirror that we’re playing with.”
Only Murders in the Building visits the British countryside
The production filmed across multiple locations in the U.K., including rural areas associated with classic cozy mysteries. “We went all over,” Hoffman said.
One major episode, titled “The Country House,” will feature a distinct setting and a large group of characters. “One of the more signature episodes is called ‘The Country House,’ and that sits in a very specific vibe and look, and quite a collection of characters,” he explained.
Hoffman did not identify the exact location, but said: “We got about an hour outside of London … and into some of the stately homes.”
Why three Doctor Who stars joined season six
The presence of Tennant, Capaldi and Whittaker prompted speculation that the series deliberately recruited a group of former Doctor Who stars. Hoffman said that was not initially the plan.
“The Doctor Who of it all was more secondary,” he said. “I was just casting who would be great, and it was only more around the corner when we said, ‘Wait a minute: David Tennant, Peter Capaldi, Jodie Whittaker — how many more? But it’s hard not to bump into a Doctor Who somewhere along the way in London.”
Whittaker’s casting came about partly through her previous work with Hoffman on the upcoming Apple TV limited series Wild Things. When she asked whether he would include her in the London-set season of Only Murders in the Building, he replied: “I said, ‘In a heartbeat.’”
A Christmas setting for the sixth season
Once the production knew the season would air in December, the creative team decided to incorporate the timing into the story. “With the show airing at the top of December, it was impossible to avoid,” he says. “Within the story, we are moving towards the end of the year. The end of last season was fall, so we had to carry through on that.”
Although filming took place during a particularly hot British summer, the production worked to create a colder, more atmospheric season. Hoffman said the goal was a winter setting “that feels a bit rainy and a bit cloudy.”
“There will be a bit of a lean into the holiday season by the end of it all.”
