Arizona PBS to Premiere Final Season of Masterpiece Series ‘Mr. Selfridge’

PHOENIX – (March 9, 2016)

The clock nears closing time as mercantile genius Harry Selfridge faces creditors, swindlers, mob bosses, irate relatives and spurned mistresses in the farewell season of “Mr. Selfridge” premiering on Arizona PBS on March 27 at 9 p.m.

Starring three-time Emmy Award-winner Jeremy Piven as the man who revolutionized the world’s retail experience, “Mr. Selfridge, The Final Season,” airs on MASTERPIECE in nine episodes on Sundays, March 27 through May 22, at 9 p.m. on Arizona PBS

Since the premiere season in 2013, “Mr. Selfridge” has wowed audiences and critics alike, much as the original Harry Gordon Selfridge did with his trend-setting, taboo-busting palace of commerce, Selfridge & Co., which opened in 1909 on London’s Oxford Street. Shopping has never been the same since.

“A treasure box of tales about love, loss, ambition and the spirit of a new age,” said The Wall Street Journal during Season 1; “lush and lovely,” said The Los Angeles Times about Season 2; “visually glorious,” said the New York Daily News for Season 3.

Now “Mr. Selfridge, The Final Season” follows the unpredictable arc of Harry’s career to its thrilling climax, charting the fate of the showman with the big heart, shaky morals and dogged belief that the dice roll will save him — and the store — every time.

“We’re looking forward to sharing the final installment of Harry’s story with our dedicated viewers who’ve been watching from the beginning,” said Nancy Southgate, associate general manager of content at Arizona PBS. “The final season promises to be every bit as riveting as the previous installments, with an all-new set of scandals, drama and intrigue that will test Harry right until the final curtain closes.”

Making new trouble for Harry this season are Jimmy Dillon (played by Sacha Dhawan, “The History Boys”), an Anglo-Indian entrepreneur specializing in irresistible business deals; press magnate Lord Wynnstay (Robert Pugh, “Game of Thrones”), who exploits Harry’s shocking private life to sell newspapers; and the blonde bombshells of their era, Dolly sisters Rosie and Jennie (Emma Hamilton, “The Tudors,” and Zoe Richards, “How to Become a Criminal Mastermind”), American twin dancers who appeal to Harry’s wicked streak.

The returning cast includes Katherine Kelly (“Coronation Street”) as seductive Lady Mae, creating fashion and passion in the new season; Amanda Abbington (“Sherlock”) as Josie Mardle, once again confronting former lover Mr. Grove, played by Tom Goodman-Hill (“Case Histories”); Ron Cook (“Little Dorrit”) as hard-headed store CFO, Mr. Crabb, who has had to loosen his business ethics a bit; and Trystan Gravelle (“Anonymous”) as Victor Colleano, now running the swankiest club in London.

Also back are Amy Beth Hayes (“The Syndicate”) and Samuel West (“Any Human Heart”) as the career-conflicted couple, Kitty and Frank Edwards; and Greg Austin (“Law and Order: UK”) as Harry’s ambitious but clear-thinking son, Gordon, heir to the family business and determined to put a new gloss on the family name.

This season’s exploits find Selfridge & Co. on the brink of its twentieth anniversary. The nonstop sales blitz since the store’s founding gives no sign of letting up and is beginning to take its toll on the staff, Harry’s family and his friends.

Based on “Shopping, Seduction & Mr. Selfridge” by Lindy Woodhead, “Mr. Selfridge, The Final Season” has more than a grain of truth to it. The Dolly sisters, a business partner named Jimmy, the gamble on a failing London emporium, heightening father-son rivalry and Harry’s deepening financial hole are right there in the history books — along with his irrepressible American optimism and favorite saying: “There’s no fun like work.”