English Mysteries Club discussion

Which TV dramatisations and films of Mysteries do you enjoy? Please share them here.

Well, let's see... I loved the Cormoran Strike series and hope there will be more. Also the Jackson Brodie series with Jason Isaacs. Kate Atkinson is a favorite author. And of course the Brother Cadfael series! Oh! Oh! The Shetland series. I would probably like Vera too, but I haven't watched any of those yet. And Miss Fisher.... I'm sure I could go on and on....

So many that our family enjoys. We still watch some of the older series that are rotated & available here (Cda) in reruns;
Touching Evil, Cracker, Midsomer Murders, Morse, Heartbeat, The Last Detective, New Tricks, Silent Witness, Prime Suspect, MI5, Wire in the Blood, Touch of Frost, George Gently, Banks, Cadfael, Rumpole, Campion + Sherlock Holmes (Brett)

Newer series that we enjoy-Grantchester, Vienna Blood, Dr Blake, Manhunt, Maigret (Atkinson), Endeavour

So many entertaining series. We wish they would never end 😉

As time has gone on, we seem to watch more mystery series on TV than anything else! Yes, and the reruns too, like you're both saying :)

We've recently got into the "Father Brown" series, and a couple of episodes were based on G.K. Chesterton's stories, although they are set in the 1950s! There's a new series being broadcast at present, but since they had been going a long time, we had a lot of catching up to do YAY :)

Another new (old) series we discovered is "Kavanagh Q.C.," which starred John Thaw. who is more famous for being Inspector Morse. I too like all those and the spin-offs "Lewis" and "Endeavour".

IcewineAnne, since you're Canadian, I'm surprised you didn't mention "Murdoch Mysteries", which is one of our favourites! I know it's set in Toronto, but it feels so like an "English" mystery, somehow.

One I don't like is the New Zealand one is "Brokenwood" ... though I admit we didn't give it much of a chance.

Bionic Jean wrote: "As time has gone on, we seem to watch more mystery series on TV than anything else! Yes, and the reruns too, like you're both saying :)

We've recently got into the "Father Brown" series, and a cou..."

Was going to add Murdock but because this is an English mystery group, I kept my list to UK based series. Had another quick glance at my list & realized that Dr Blake is Australian.....oops 😉

We have (& have had) quite a few mystery series’ that are Canadian written & produced much of it because our laws state that Cdn channels must have approx 50% Cdn content.

Icewineanne wrote: "We have (& have had) quite a few mystery series’ that are Canadian written & produced much of it because our laws state that Cdn channels must have approx 50% Cdn content...."

That's interesting!

Bionic Jean wrote: "As time has gone on, we seem to watch more mystery series on TV than anything else! Yes, and the reruns too, like you're both saying :)

We've recently got into the "Father Brown" series, and a cou..."

I like Brokenwood, though some episodes more than others - the two leads work well together overall.

One that I quite liked after stumbling across it at my public library, which has all of the series on DVD, would be A Mind to Kill from the 1990s. As I understand it, they filmed each episode first entirely in Welsh, and then again entirely in English.

John wrote: "One that I quite liked after stumbling across it at my public library, which has all of the series on DVD, would be A Mind to Kill from the 1990s. As I understand it, they filmed each episode first entirely in Welsh, and then again entirely in Engli..."

I think I saw a few of those at the time - but never knew they were filmed in Welsh!

Excellent idea, Rita! I've often wondered how those in the States seem to see so many British series.

Bionic Jean wrote: "Excellent idea, Rita! I've often wondered how those in the States seem to see so many British series."

PBS’ Masterpiece Theater is really good about showing them. And Netflix has loads of British tv. It’s basically all that’s in my queue!

Bionic Jean wrote: "Excellent idea, Rita! I've often wondered how those in the States seem to see so many British series."

No doubt you've heard of Masterpiece Theatre, Jean, with all the British historical dramas? There's another PBS series called 'Mystery' that runs British crime series - Diana Rigg as Mrs Bradley was among my favorites!

That explains it!

I don´t have much access to British mystery, but I like Cadfael, Vera, and have seen parts of other series too. I also love the modern Sherlock Holmes series (US, but with the British actor Jonny Lee Miller as Holmes) "Elementary".

I have just been captivated by the series, "In the Line of Duty." I just finished season 5 on Acorn and almost cried. We still don't know who the head crooked cop is. This is so well written and acted. I love it and it is a mystery at it's best. You never know what's going to happen next.

I´ll have a look if my Amazon Prime also got Britbox.

Also wanted to mention I like the Poirot/Suchet series, which I can watch on German TV every week. It´s finished though.

The BBC's Miss Marple with Joan Hickson. I can watch them over and over. I don't think Joan Hickson's Miss Marple can ever be improved on, and the supporting cast was always excellent. The Murder at the Vicarage and The Body in the Library are my favourites.

Rita wrote: "I remember watching a British TV series starring Roger Moore as The Saint which I enjoyed immensely. I have now acquired quite a few of the books by Leslie Charteris. In his bio he is listed as bei..."

I love the old movies from the 30s :)

I have one book in my kindle....but I’m pretty sure it’s not the first one!!!

Rita wrote: "I remember watching a British TV series starring Roger Moore as The Saint which I enjoyed immensely. I have now acquired quite a few of the books by Leslie Charteris. In his bio he is listed as bei..."

The TV series came out in the 1960s. The books have been popular since they were published. I have several in print form, audiobooks, and ebooks. IMO, the earlier ones are better. The books were also adapted into movies in the late 1930s to 1940s with Louis Hayward ("The Saint in New York") and then George Sanders, who went on to star in the Falcon movies before his brother Tom Conway took over.

Leslie Charteris was a real character by all accounts. His father was Chinese and his mother was English. He changed his last name to Charteris in 1926. His daughter said he found it in a telephone directory! He had an interesting life.

I loved The Saint! Roger Moore will always be The Saint for me, NOT James Bond.

Roger Moore also did The Persuaders, co-starring with Tony Curtis. That was a fairly light crime/adventure series, a tv original, not an adaptation of anything else. Roger Moore played very much his usual type of character - playboy lifestyle, fast cars, girls etc.
Here are the opening credits: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fvuuA...

Victoria wrote: "Roger Moore also did The Persuaders, co-starring with Tony Curtis. That was a fairly light crime/adventure series, a tv original, not an adaptation of anything else. Roger Moore played very much hi..."

I read about "The Persuaders" in Moore's autobiography, My Word is My Bond. He and Tony Curtis got along very well. However, Roger Moore said that Curtis felt that acting in TV was a step down from the movies. He changed his mind after one funny encounter with a large group of Spanish tourists:

"...they all swept past Tony and came directly to me [Roger Moore], saying 'El Santo, El Santo. The Saint had been very popular in Spain. Tony realized at that point that working in television could increase one's popularity."

LOL Diane! What a great anecdote!

I loved The Saint too.

Rita wrote: "Laurel wrote: "I loved The Saint! Roger Moore will always be The Saint for me, NOT James Bond."
I have never understood why they picked him to play James Bond."

The only James Bond movie I've seen with Roger Moore in it is "A View to a Kill," which is largely due to the fact that Duran Duran did the theme song and I've always been a fan of Christopher Walken. Yes, I'm a fangirl. ;)

I have never understood why they picked him to play James Bond.

Sean Connery is James Bond. All the others are mere substitutes.

I agree ;)

Victoria wrote: "I have never understood why they picked him to play James Bond.

Sean Connery is James Bond. All the others are mere substitutes."

LOL! I like Connery as Bond but to me Roger Moore is James Bond because I grew up with him in the recently released movies at that time.

I have recently been watching reruns (streaming rather than broadcast) of "Death in Paradise" - a mystery series set in the Caribbean. I really liked the first few seasons but felt the replacement DIs were no where near as good as the original.

Leslie wrote: "I have recently been watching reruns (streaming rather than broadcast) of "Death in Paradise" - a mystery series set in the Caribbean. I really liked the first few seasons but felt the replacement ..."

I wasn’t crazy about the replacements either Leslie......but now they’ve grown on me. The first (Poole) was definitely the best but liked Humphrey & his oddball ways and now also like Jack Mooney.
I was glad they kept the series going in spite of all of the cast changes.

Leslie wrote:
LOL! I like Connery as Bond but to me Roger Moore is James Bond because I grew up with him in the recently released movies at that time."

I suppose everyone has 'their' Bond, just as everyone has 'their' Robin Hood and 'their' Doctor. Richard Greene and Patrick Troughton for me, although I did watch Doctor Who from the beginning - I can remember the very first episode!

Victoria wrote: "I have never understood why they picked him to play James Bond.

Sean Connery is James Bond. All the others are mere substitutes."

Exactly.

I have watched all the "classic" Dr. Who (well, I have missed a few of the last season). I can't decide if Jon Pertwee or Tom Baker is my favorite...

I missed quite a lot of the Pertwee and Baker episodes because at that time I was either a student with no telly, or had a job which required working Saturdays. I started watching regularly again around the time Peter Davison took over.

Leslie, I have trouble choosing between Jon Pertwee and Tom Baker too. Jon Pertwee was my first doctor, but Tom Baker was an amazing Doctor.
I stopped watching the new Doctor Who series after David Tennant left the series. I think he and Chris Eccles did a good job as the new high-tech doctors. I liked the cheesy special effects in the older series.

Rita wrote: "I will never run out of things to watch. I installed a Roku stick on my Tv. I get Amazon Prime for free because I am an Amazon Prime member. Through Prime I subscribed to BritBox and Acorn. I also ..."

Thinking of doing this, Rita, subscribing to Britbox. So many good things to watch! I've seen a few episodes of "Kavanaugh, QC." Can't get enough of John Thaw. Which has led me to watch "Endeavor," for the character.

Has anyone watched Rowan Atkinson as Maigret? They are quite good, in my opinion.

Has anyone watched Rowan Atkinson as Maigret? They are quite good, in my opinion.

I have. I like Atkinson in the role, but I thought the plots were very slow moving. But I thought the re-creation of postwar Paris, and the Parisian atmosphere, were terrific, and it was worth watching just for that. (Just looked it up, and it was filmed in Hungary, apparently.)

Victoria wrote: "Has anyone watched Rowan Atkinson as Maigret? They are quite good, in my opinion.

I have. I like Atkinson in the role, but I thought the plots were very slow moving. But I thought the re-creation ..."

I thought that Atkinson was pretty good but prefer the older series with Michael Gambon. Also, I seem to recall thinking that the Atkinson ones were quite dark cinematographically. That sort of filming has become quite popular but I don't care for it - I want to be able to see clearly what is going on!

BTW, Rita, I also use a ROKU to stream my Amazon Prime & BritBox :) I had Acorn until I had watched all their mysteries (well, all the ones I wanted to) and then switched to BritBox. It is almost time for me to switch back *grin*

Leslie wrote: "I have recently been watching reruns (streaming rather than broadcast) of "Death in Paradise" - a mystery series set in the Caribbean. I really liked the first few seasons but felt the replacement ..."

Have you seen the latest with Ralf Little ? He seems ok so far.

Adrian wrote: "Leslie wrote: "I have recently been watching reruns (streaming rather than broadcast) of "Death in Paradise" - a mystery series set in the Caribbean. I really liked the first few seasons but felt t..."

No, the latest season isn't on my Prime/BritBox - too new I guess.

Laurel wrote: "I loved The Saint! Roger Moore will always be The Saint for me, NOT James Bond."

I have to agree Laurel. I have the DVDs of the Saint episodes that were broadcast on British TV. Wonderful.

Victoria wrote: "Patrick Troughton for me, although I did watch Doctor Who from the beginning - I can remember the very first episode! ..."

I only go back to late Troughton episodes , then Jon Pertwee etc etc. I must admit I don't remember the William Hartnell ones, except for odd snippets.

Has anyone seen the new dynamic duo of detectives, set in wonderful Bath (England) named McDonald and Dodds. Starring Jason Watkins as DS Dodds. Quite good after 1 episode.

I must have missed that!

Adrian wrote: "Has anyone seen the new dynamic duo of detectives, set in wonderful Bath (England) named McDonald and Dodds. Starring Jason Watkins as DS Dodds. Quite good after 1 episode."

Yes, I really enjoyed it. Only two episodes so far - I hope there will be more.

Ruth wrote: "Adrian wrote: "Has anyone seen the new dynamic duo of detectives, set in wonderful Bath (England) named McDonald and Dodds. Starring Jason Watkins as DS Dodds. Quite good after 1 episode."

Yes, I ..."

I'm just watching episode 2 now. Its just as much fun.

I'd put it less serious than Morse but more than say Midsommer, but still just in cozy mystery category.

Leslie wrote: "Adrian wrote: "Leslie wrote: "I have recently been watching reruns (streaming rather than broadcast) of "Death in Paradise" - a mystery series set in the Caribbean. I really liked the first few sea..."

I just discovered the French series "Detectives" starring Sara Martins, much missed (by me at least) as Camille Bordey. A different kind of quirky from "Death in P." -- I've watched 2 episodes & she hasn't really opened up yet. Not as slapstick as the current "Death in P" though, which is a mercy IMO.

Adrian wrote: "I'm just watching episode 2 now. Its just as much fun.

I'd put it less serious than Morse but more than say Midsommer, but still just in cozy mystery category...."

Yes I think that just right Adrian.

That means it will be forever before we get to see it, Adrian.

Like Rita, I just watched "Pale Horse."

Susan wrote: "That means it will be forever before we get to see it, Adrian.

Like Rita, I just watched "Pale Horse.""

Sorry !!

I will be watching Pale Horse tonight.

Ruth wrote: "Adrian Wrote "I'd put it less serious than Morse but more than say Midsommer, but still just in cozy mystery category...."

Yes I think that just right Adrian. ..."

Its nice when other people agree with ones views, Thanks Ruth.

Susan wrote: "That means it will be forever before we get to see it, Adrian.

Like Rita, I just watched "Pale Horse.""

Well I just watched The Pale Horse, and whilst I quite enjoyed it (I've not yet read the book to be able to compare), I did get a little lost towards the end. Now maybe passing 60 has slowed my brain, but I don't think so as I'm normally good at sorting out mysteries.
Maybe I shall have to read the book to find out what happened. 😊