6 Questions for Miss Scarlet's Leading Man, Tom Durant-Pritchard
In this exclusive MASTERPIECE interview, Miss Scarlet co-star Tom Durant-Pritchard pulls back the curtain on Alexander Blake’s relationship with Eliza Scarlet. He also shares how it feels to channel a Victorian detective, offers some unexpectedly solid babysitting advice, and readies MASTERPIECE viewers for a dramatic about-turn when he steps into a very different role for The Forsytes, coming March 22, 2026.
MASTERPIECE:
As Season 6 begins, we learn right away that Eliza and Alexander are now romantically involved. As an actor, how did it feel to have this shift in their relationship occur so early in the season?
Tom Durant-Pritchard:
Well, you know what? It was actually really nice. We'd had discussions beforehand, and I think the will-they-won't-they sort of idea was over and it was really interesting to see what the dynamic between the two of them would be like immediately. We knew [Season 6] was going to be based on their trying to work out being in a relationship and getting their professional lives together. We knew it would happen early, but I wasn't expecting it to be quite as early as it was; it was a welcomed surprise.
MASTERPIECE:
Tell us a bit about this new personal chapter for Eliza and Alexander. Now that they’ve officially crossed into romantic territory, how are each of them handling it?
Tom Durant-Pritchard:
Well, I think they hoped to deal with it like adults—with all the maturity and ease you would expect, but obviously it's much more challenging than they expected. And they've tried their best to keep it a secret, and this brings out all sorts of issues. They both care about each other deeply. So it really costs them when it's harder than they want it to be. They go through all the ups and downs of being in a new relationship. It's sexy and exciting, and frustrating and complicated trying to navigate how to be in each other's lives.
One of the things I enjoy about my character is that you really get a sense, I think, that both he and Eliza just want the best for the other person, and they both work really hard at trying to do the best for the other person. But they're flawed, difficult, complicated characters. At the heart of it though, they're really champions of the other.
MASTERPIECE:
How would you sum up Alexander Blake's journey since he first arrived in the series?
Tom Durant-Pritchard:
I think he's been on a journey of self-discovery. He's come from this military background, ran the police department in Bristol, then takes over at Scotland Yard while falling in love with somebody he really shouldn't fall in love with. So, for all the issues that that brings up, it's a step in the right direction.
But it's been a hard journey, one he hadn't imagined, and it's meant he's had to really grow in areas that he wasn't expecting. He's had to knock down some [emotional] walls that he had before. He's had to learn to be more open and vulnerable. He's becoming less rigid in his beliefs, and these are all things that he doesn't do easily. Blake’s a Victorian man in so many ways. And at the end of the day, he's trying to be as modern as he can be, but he's still stuck within the era he's living in.
MASTERPIECE:
Between being a single father, a high-ranking official, and now a romantic partner, Blake has a lot on his plate. How does he manage to juggle it all?
Tom Durant-Pritchard:
Well, I think the truth of the matter is he's not managing very well, though he’s definitely using Eliza to try and help with certain aspects—even childcare. Anybody who's been watching Miss Scarlet for the last however many seasons, knows she's probably the last person on earth you'd want as a babysitter. Everything you can imagine going wrong with Eliza being in charge of your seven-year-old invariably goes wrong. And I think he's learning that the hard way.
MASTERPIECE:
One thing we love about the show is how it highlights Scotland Yard’s evolving techniques—everything from early toxicology to suspect sketches. Is there something especially fun or surprising about stepping into the shoes of a Victorian detective?
Tom Durant-Pritchard:
I don't know if it's the same in the US, but growing up in the UK with all those wonderful Victorian crime stories; it's so embedded in our psyche. I live in East London, so Jack the Ripper and such have always just been in my imagination from a young age. And finally getting to play a cop in that era is just endlessly fascinating—I get to live in a world I’ve sort of known since I was about eight years old. It's endlessly fascinating and endlessly enjoyable. And it's been one of the real treats of my career so far being able to play this part.
MASTERPIECE:
And finally, MASTERPIECE fans will see you next in The Forsytes this March. What can they look forward to from you in this brand-new series?
Tom Durant-Pritchard:
I think the only similarity between Blake and the character I will be playing in The Forsytes is the fact that it’s my face on both of them! I play a [libidinous] gambler obsessed with trying to corrupt the family, steal its wealth, and sleep with as many women on the road to the top as possible. After playing Alexander Blake, it's an absolute breath of fresh air—but he is a cad and a rogue, and I wouldn't trust him near any members of your family.
