Here’s a challenge: Name a country that makes better detective shows than Britain. Monk? A pale imitation of Poirot. CSI? Totally McCallum. And don’t get me started on books: I’ve been reading only Agatha Christie for ten months with no signs of boredom (though I’ve got DVDs of Prime Suspect 7, Cracker: A New Terror, and The Inspector Lynley Mysteries: Series 6 on the back burner just in case).
So with Masterpiece topping off season 1 of its hip, new, revamped Mystery! by airing the Billie Piper-fronted Shadow in the North (pictured, left) this Sunday, I thought we’d discuss the decade’s other whodunit classics (all are available on DVD).
1. Marple: Series 1-3 (2004-2007). The lowdown: Geraldine McEwen plays Christie’s amateur female sleuth in a dozen fresh mysteries. The guest stars (from Jack Davenport to Timothy Dalton) are so impressive, you’d be barmy to miss them. Best Case: “At Bertram’s Hotel.” Love Actually’s Martine McCutcheon and Green Wing’s Stephen Mangan help McEwan solve a murder spree at a London inn. Here’s a clip:
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More whodunit classics, and your B&B calendar for the week, after the jump…
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2. Lewis: Series 1 (2007). The lowdown: Former Morse sidekick Lewis (Kevin Whately) gets a young new partner (Piper’s real-life hubby Laurence Fox, pictured, middle). Best Case:“Expiation.” You’ll never guess the twisted secrets behind this mom’sfaked suicide, even when I tell you they involve husband-swapping andone really bloody sewing kit.
3. Wire in the Blood: Series 5 (2007). The lowdown:Quirky clinical psychologist Tony Hill (Robson Green, pictured, right) doesmore “thinking like a killer” to assist friend DI Alex (Simone Lahbib).Best Case: “The Names of Angels.” Two women are found raped and strangled. The catch:They’re wearing clothes belonging to victims killed years earlier inother countries and the murderer is working under not one, but three,stolen identities.
4. Poirot: The Definitive Collection (2000-2006). The lowdown: David Suchet returns as Christie’s Belgian detective for 12 feature-length episodes. Best Case: “FiveLittle Pigs.” Which of these family friends (Marc Warren, TobyStephens, Gemma Jones, and Julie Cox) poisoned an artist (The Wire’sAiden Gillen) and let his widow hang for it?
5. Rebus (2000-2001). The lowdown: Ian Rankin’s famous Scottish detective as portrayed by Mummy thesp John Hannah (Ken Stott replaced him for later seasons). Best Case: “Black and Blue.” Rebus tracks a copycat killer mimicking a murderer he locked up fifteen years before.
6. Murder in Suburbia: Series 1-2 (2004-2005). The lowdown: Small English towns have grisly murders too — and detectives Ash (Caroline Catz) and Scribbs (Lisa Faulkner) to solve them. Best Case: “Salsa.” Dancing’s dangerous — especially when you sashay off your balcony.
So, Anglophiles, agree with my ranking? What did I miss?
Your Bits and Bobs calendar for the week:
Monday (September 22nd): CBS premieres its adaptation of Worst Week of My Life (aka Worst Week) at 9:30pm. Comedy Central repeats Tony Blair’s Daily Show appearance at 11pm. Little Britain’s David Walliams and Matt Lucas visit Leno on NBC at 11:35pm.
Tuesday: Horatio Hornblower: Collector’s Edition, Jewel in the Crown: 25th Anniversary Edition, and Ken Russell at the BBC drop on DVD.
Wednesday: Walliams and Lucas appear on NBC’s Conan at 12:35pm.
Thursday: Journeyman’s Kevin McKidd joins ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy at 9pm.
Friday: Read A.S. Berman’s 30 Years of British Television,a fascinating collection of interviews with the likes of Lenny Henry,Eric Idle, and John Mortimer. Then pick up Sarah Lyall’s The Anglo Files, the New York Times writer’s witty account of moving to Britain in the mid-1990s.
Saturday: Professor Cutter and crew fight ginormous worms on BBC America’s Primeval at 9pm.
Sunday: Bubbles and Daffyd hit the States in HBO’s Little Britain USA at 10:30pm. It’s hilarious.
Comments (1-30) of 34 Add your comment
Great post. Some definite things to check out on DVD.
I would say that Inspector Lynley and Midsomer Murders are missing form that list. Murder City, Murphy’s Law and Murder Prevention Unit are also some very underrated shows.
Aubry, you should check out Jonathan Creek. One night I could hardly sleep after watching an episode! Seasons 1 and 2 are on Netflix. Good stuff.
I makes me unnecessarily happy to see a clip from At Bertram’s Hotel for this post. I’ve watched it at least half a dozen times. Not only do you have Martine McCutcheon, but Francesca Annis is hysterical, and Polly Walker is fantastic especially when she’s jumping over tables and punching people out. I’m also happy to see season 5 from Wire in the Blood singled out because Simone Lahbib completely won me over after I was disappointed that Hermione Norris left. But, I think Foyle’s War definitely has to be included with the essential British Mysteries. No one solves a murder with more nonchalance than Michael Kitchen.
This is an area I have been wanting to explore. Can anyone recommend some good starting titles for Agatha Christie novels? I appreciate the recommendations for TV/DVD, but I am also an avid reader. Thanks!
Dude! How can you forget Second Sight? Granted, its not airing now, but its on DVD and it has Clive Owen!!!
I’ve just recently gotten back into reading Agatha Christie’s books again – I don’t think I’ve yet read or listened to one that I didn’t like. A Pocket Full of Rye, The Big Four, Why Didn’t They Ask Evans?, The Body in the Library – are all good. Even the ones without Marple or Poirot are good.
The Biography Channel used to show Midsomer Murders and Poirot reruns on the weekend. I don’t know why they stopped but I miss that. It was a nice way to spend a Sunday afternoon.
Jason, I’d recommend starting at the beginning with both detectives – for Poirot, “The Mysterious Affair at Styles” and for Miss Marple, “Murder at the Vicarage.” Then work your way forward. The earlier (20s – 30s) are more adventurous, the later ones more thoughtful. The short stories are a good bet as well, especially when you’ve got a short attention span but want a nice read. I’m so excited for you – you’ve got lots of fun reading ahead! I recommend that eventually you move to some of the other classic British mystery writers – Dorothy Sayers, Ngaio Marsh and my favorite, Margery Allingham. Have fun!
And Aubry, I liked the TV version of “Five Little Pigs” but as a book purist I found the dramatization a bit distracting. I found Toby Stephens fairly distracting as well, though…in a good way.
I, too, love Wire in the Blood, but no list of great British mysteries is complete in my opinion without Waking the Dead. If you haven’t seen it yet, do. Every time I see an episode I sit back and say, “That’s what a good show is supposed to look like.” Trevor Eve is simply amazing as th head of a cold case unit and the rest of the cast is outstanding as well.
Ninjac, I had forgotten about Second Sight — fantastic and as you said, Clive Owen. Who needs any other reason to watch?
I’m trying to read every Agatha Christie book by the end of the year. So far my favorites have been, oddly enough, 4:50 from Paddington (liked the adaptation as well), the Mirror Crack’d, and Cards on the Table. I wasn’t a fan of the recent Cards on the Table adaptation though. Too many plot liberties. The changes to Honeysuckle Weeks’ character really stuck in my craw. I also didn’t like the Moving Finger adaptation with James Darcy. Also, Lynley belongs on that list. My last thing is, I can’t imagine how Julia McKenzie could be as good as Geraldine McEwan as MIss Marple.
Martine McCutcheon is great as Jane Cooper! I’d really like to see her in more projects here in the United States! She’d be terrific in “Mad Men”. She’s also a very talented singer.
Thanks so much for covering British TV mysteries in a blog post! I love to know I’m not alone in devouring these. All the Poirot mysteries with David Suchet are my absolute favorites – the acting, period detail, and tone are perfect – especially in the ones prior to 2002. And I definitely second the comment about Foyle’s War. I love this series and am so pleased that we may be getting more episodes! Jonathan Creek is a treat as well
My favorite Agatha Christie mysteries are definitely The Man in the Brown Suit and The Secret of Chimneys. And thanks to Martha for mentioning Ngaio Marsh. I love, love her mysteries and Inspector Alleyn. Right now, I’ve been digging into Catherine Aird’s hilarious DCI Sloan mysteries. Very witty.
Thanks to ninjac for mentioning Second Sight. For Robson Green, I preferred him in Touching Evil (especially the devastating Season 3!). I loved An Unsuitable Job for a Woman. And Heat of the Sun. Oh and Roy Marsden as Adam Dalgliesh. I grew up on Mystery! and Masterpiece Theatre.
I’m all about Michael Kitchen in Foyle’s War. Sad that it’s over. I actually didn’t mind Hettie Wainthrop, but maybe that was to get my Hyacinth Bucket fix. The Diana Rigg series was pretty sweet, but damned if I haven’t forgotten the name of it tonight.
Come now, Inspector Lynley’s gotta be on here! At least though S4!
Seeing Hornblower on the DVD list makes me want to break out my box set
I recommend that you don’t ever bother with ITV’s hideous interpretation of Miss Marple. If you want to watch a proper version try and get hold of the BBC version with Joan Hickson that were made in the 80s-90s. Christie herself declared that Hickson would be perfect for the role when she was older after seeing her on the West End stage and she was not wrong. If you watch the ITV version and then read the books you will be completely lost as they bare little resemblance.
As for other mysteries what about the Messiah series and for one to watch out for Kenneth Branagh as Henning Mankell’s Kurt Wallander.
I would have added Cadfael to the list, but then, I’m a mediaeval mystery addict anyway.
You mention “Wire in the Blood” and Robson Green(hubba-hubba)but you leave out “Touching Evil”. Are you kidding me?!? I am glad that someone mentioned “Second Sight”–Clive Owen (hubba-hubba #2) Also, where’s “Prime Suspect”, “Daziel and Pascoe”, “Silent Witness”, and “Cracker”?!?
I love the new Miss Marple mysteries. The acting and the production values are phenomenal. I was addicted to Foyle’s War. i discovered it on dvd and I watched it obsessively for weeks. It should stayed on the air. I really liked Inspector Lewis, I can’t wait for the next series. Other good ones, can’t leave out Cadfael or Lynley. I also recommend Midsomer Murders. the series is written by Anthny Horowitz who wrote Foyle’s War.
How can you claim to love Agatha Christie’s work and yet praise that terrible ITV Miss Marple series?
Geraldine McEwen is a wonderful actress (the Lucia series), but she’s all wrong for Miss Marple. In addition the writers had the nerve to change Christie’s plots and, at least once, even who the murderer was. They’ve taken Poirot novels and replaced him with Miss Marple. They’ve inserted Miss Marple into Tommy and Tuppence novels. (They even made Tuppence a budding alcoholic and Tommy her husband an unsympathetic character.) I’m sure Dame Agatha is rolling in her grave.
I’ve read every book by and about Dame Agatha, and she’d hate this series. The worst part is that it’s her family who are to blame for this, by selling their rights to Criterian for millions of pounds and surrendering control over the plots and characters.
If you want to see every Miss Marple novel filmed faithfully to Christie’s vision, purchase the series with Joan Hickson.
Prime Suspect, Cracker, and Second Sight are all 1990s series, i.e. not from this decade.
Robson Green is just about the hottest piece of manly man-candy on either side of the pond. Wire in the Blood’s adaptation of the novel “The Mermaids Singing” may well be the most offensive piece of homophobic serial-killer crapola since “Cruising”, but by god he’s strung up buck naked for the final showdown!
Touching Evil is also from the 1990s.
I was really enjoying Rosemary and Thyme when they were showing it on ch. 21 last spring. And Hetty Wainthrop was wonderful. Middle age women solving crimes is the best!
Is Foyle’s war the one set in the 40s? I started watching something halfway through, loved it, but then never saw what it was.
Wot, no Taggart?
I have to go with the first series of Messiah – just chilling. I think the yanks are good at the old whodunits too like CSI, just too much posing though into the camera!
British comedy shows are some of the best too!
You can’t go wrong with the Lynley Mysteries and Prime Suspect.
Can’t endorse either Rosemary & Thyme or Jonathan Creek. But, one I haven’t seen mentioned that was not bad is Blue Murder. It features a recently divorced, single-mom DCI trying to balance work and life. I see her as a nice contrast to emotionally unavailable, work-aholic Jane Tennison. Also, the recent HBO/BBC co-production 5 Days, while not a traditional police procedural, does revolve around a mystery that is solved and is quite good.