Detectorists is a British comedy television series first broadcast on BBC Four in October 2014. It is written and directed by Mackenzie Crook, who also stars alongside Toby Jones. The series is set in the fictional small town of Danebury in north Essex. The plot revolves around the lives, loves and metal-detecting ambitions of Andy and Lance, members of the Danebury Metal Detecting Club. The main filming location for the series and Christmas specials is Framlingham, a small market town in Suffolk. Detectorists won a BAFTA at the 2015 British Academy Television Awards for Television Scripted Comedy. In May 2019, it was voted 19th in a Radio Times list of Britain's 20 favourite sitcoms by a panel that included sitcom writers and actors. It is filmed in single-camera setup. The show ran for three series from 2014 to 2017, including a 2015 Christmas special. A further Christmas special aired in 2022. Cast Mackenzie Crook as Andy Stone, an agency worker who qualifies as an archaeologist during the series. A member of the Danebury Metal Detecting Club (DMDC) Toby Jones as Lance Stater, a forklift truck driver for a vegetable wholesaler, and amateur musician. A member of the DMDC Lucy Benjamin as Maggie, Lance's ex-wife who runs a New Age supplies shop (series 1, 3) Adam Riches as Tony, Maggie's boyfriend, a pizza restaurant manager (series 1) Rachael Stirling as Becky, Andy's girlfriend (wife as of series 2), a primary school teacher Gerard Horan as Terry Seymour, a retired policeman who is the president of the DMDC Sophie Thompson as Sheila Seymour, Terry's wife Pearce Quigley as Russell, a DMDC member Divian Ladwa as Hugh, a shy and awkward DMDC member Orion Ben as Varde, a mostly silent DMDC member and girlfriend of Louise. Despite appearing in nearly every episode, and being described by members of the DMDC as very talkative, her only lines of dialogue are in series 2, episode 4, and the 2022 Christmas special. Laura Checkley as Louise, a forthright DMDC member and girlfriend of Varde Aimee-Ffion Edwards as Sophie, an ancient history student at a university (series 1, 2) David Sterne as Larry Bishop, an eccentric farmer and landowner (series 1, 2) Simon Farnaby as Philip Peters and Paul Casar as Paul Lee, members of "AntiquiSearchers", later "Dirt Sharks", "Terra Firma", and then "Absolut Hunters", a rival metal detecting group. Lance and Andy call them Simon and