‘The Young Darcy Mysteries’ isn’t a real show, but ‘Platonic,’ I need it to be

Seth Rogen has his finger on the pulse when it comes to satirizing all things Hollywood. Not only is he the face (and co-creator) of the critically acclaimed Apple TV+ comedy The Studio, which hilariously spoofs the art versus commerce of La La Land, but he’s also the co-star of Platonic, another critically heralded L.A.-centric comedy series from Apple TV+. But jokes aside, there’s a spinoff show I need Rogen and Platonic‘s creators Nicholas Stoller and Francesca Delbanco to make happen. 

Episode 8 offers a fake TV show I need to become real. 

This fictional show-within-a show is called The Young Darcy Mysteries, and it’s a conceit so good that I’m shocked Apple TV+ hasn’t already produced it. You like Jane Austen? You like Sherlock Holmes? Great. Here’s a series that has the potential to scratch that romance and murder mystery itch, which frankly can never be truly satisfied.

What is The Young Darcy Mysteries? 

This is the question that Sylvia’s (Rose Byrne) husband Charlie (Luke Macfarlane) asks when the stay-at-home mom turned professional party planner lands a gig planning the premiere party for the enticingly titled show. 

“It’s like the biggest show on,” their teen daughter Frances (Sophie Leonard) scolds, adding, “It’s a prequel to Pride and Prejudice but from the perspective of Mr. Darcy when he was young. Also, Mr. Darcy is a detective, a fencer, a boxer, a dirigible test pilot, and an amateur chemist.” 

Later, Frances will show her dad a spicy scene from the series, in which Young Darcy is in a fencing match where the buttons are snapped off his shirt by his opponent’s foil. (Hot). Then he unmasks his opponent to reveal her beautiful face and — gasp — “It’s not Emma! It’s Lady Putteningham!” And then they kiss. Because of course they do. And it’s the stuff of romance novels. 

Adding sizzle, this fictional show stars Mason Grand (Milo Manheim), a young actor who has women of all ages swooning like the Bennet sisters at a ball. Within the world of Platonic, this show is “very popular.” But in the real world? I mean, this seems like easy algorithm math. 

Please, Apple TV+, make The Young Darcy Mysteries real. 

Aidy Bryant in “Platonic,” now streaming on Apple TV+.
Credit: Apple TV+

Even in Frances’ short description, there are clear inspirations from real-life shows that had successful runs. For instance, if you want a sexy detective who blends mystery and romance in a period setting, see Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries, the Essie Davis-starring stunner that ran for three seasons before spawning a movie and a spinoff, Ms. Fisher’s Modern Murder Mysteries. 

Or how about Murdoch Mysteries? This Canadian series set in 1800s Toronto centers on a gentleman detective who, like Young Darcy, has an almost comical array of expertise. Running 18 seasons and counting, this show features a investigator who is more brilliant than Sherlock, inventing things like sonar, bulletproof vests, and GPS. Murdoch also casually brushes up against historical figures on a Doctor Wholevel, including the likes of Nikola Tesla, Mark Twain, and Buffalo Bill Cody. 

Now add to this trusted formula of sexy detective with an unreasonably long list of skills to the Jane Austen setting. That’s Sherlock meets Bridgerton. How has this pitch not been sold already? How are there not already sets in production, fan-casting speculation exploding, and merch in the works for everything from an eyeshadow palette to spyglass earrings and a Hot Topic collection? 

Apple TV+ has already had success with a playful reinterpretation of classic literature. Just look at Dickinson, which reimagines the poems and life of Emily Dickinson with an irreverent and anachronistic flare and unapologetic queerness. Between Platonic and The Studio, Apple’s already got a working relationship with Stoller and Delbanco as well as Rogen, who produces and stars in both comedy series. Next step: bring the writer of this episode, Noah Findling, into the fold, and create a pitch.

The outline is there. Pride and Prejudice is in the public domain. Women have spent generations swooning over every version of Mr. Darcy, from Colin Firth to Matthew MacFadyen to Colin Firth again (in Bridget Jones’s Diary) to his Bridgertonequivalent, a dashing duke played by Regé-Jean Page. And fans are already giddy over Netflix’s upcoming Pride and Prejudice series. There’s an audience, seated and waiting to crush hard on Young Darcy, who perhaps isn’t jaded yet because he hasn’t cracked the case of that wily Wickham. 

Sure, he’ll have flings with the likes of Lady Putteningham or Emma. But the thrill of it all will be wondering what came before he met Lizzie Bennet. Hell, maybe she’s even a character, ever on the periphery, teasing the romance that would define them both. Maybe the sequel series picks up after Pride and Prejudice with the two using their immense fortune to do pro bono detective work, pulling a detective double act like Sherlock, The Thin Man, or Moonlighting. Maybe the Emma mentioned is from Austen’s book Emma, and this becomes a whole sexy Austen crime universe!? 

Look, this isn’t the Kool-Aid movie. It’s Mr. Darcy. This is an idea with potential and appeal that is both timely and timeless. And hey, what a better way to live out the message of Platonic Season 2? In this second season, several characters are taking big swings for their new dreams. Sylvia’s building her new career as a party planner with big moves. Charlie shakes things up by pursuing his dream to become a novelist, and fresh from his broken engagement, Will is devoted to his Shitty Little Bar. With each quest, we are all reminded that being middle-aged doesn’t mean it’s too late to dream big, no matter how silly those dreams may seem to the haters. 

So, please, Rogen, Stoller, Delbanco, and company, make The Young Darcy Mysteries the next dream come true. 

Platonic is now streaming on Apple TV+, with new episodes each Wednesday.