The Last Detective: Complete Collection (2009) Review

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(More customer reviews)"The Last Detective: The Complete Collection," comprising all 17 episodes of this superior British television mystery series, is now becoming available in the United States for the first time. The series, a subversive police procedural, was made by Granada for the United Kingdom's Independent Television (ITV). It made its debut on British broadcast television in February 2003, and has never been seen on broadcast TV here, which is our loss, as it is an excellent, character-driven production that offers a light-hearted blend of mystery and comedy similar to that of Poirot Investigates: Eleven Complete Mysteries;Blue Murder: Set 3; or Rosemary & Thyme - The Complete Series. The collection comes at a value-packed price, and offers as a bonus, the 1981 treatment, starring Bernard Cribbins, that tells the same story as this series' pilot.
It's based on the "Dangerous Davies" novels of Leslie Thomas. The veteran, highly thought of, everyman looking Peter Davison (Tristan in All Creatures Great & Small - The Complete Series 1 Collection), stars as the title character, Detective Constable Davies (and it's quite a disgrace for an older man to be only a constable!) He works in the totally unimportant, out of the way, North London precinct of Willesden. And he's only the last detective in that he's the last detective his boss would assign to any case, had he his choice in the matter. So Davies gets the least promising cases: yet, in his plodding fashion, he generally does get his man - or woman, as the case may be.
Emma Amos plays his sexy wife, Julie: in the complete collection you will see their relationship go through some changes, as she first throws him out, then takes him back. Sean Hughes, (the guy from Eejit Records in The Commitments (Two-Disc Collector's Edition), plays his freeloading, quirky chum, Mod: we see him go through quite a few career changes in the complete collection, too. Rob Spendlove plays Detective Inspector Aspinall, the station house's tough supervisor. Charles De'Ath as DS Pimlott and Billy Geraghty as DS Barrett add greatly to the flavor of the cop shop; and we get to see the three of them going through changes too. Various well-known actors, such as Sian Philips, Norman Wisdom,David Threlfall and Susan Woordridge, guest star in supporting, but still meaty, roles.
The series manages to be witty and entertaining, yet still intellectually satisfying, with a minimum of onscreen violence. Cinematography is fine, and it's firmly grounded in its North London location. For better or worse, its actors have been encouraged to use that locale's flavorful accent: some may have trouble with it. But it really is a pleasure getting to see all the episodes in sequence, and seeing the characters develop. British mystery lovers: this one's for you.


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Britain\'s bumbling and beloved detective
Detective Constable "Dangerous" Davies always gets the cases no one else wants--and no one notices when he eventually succeeds. But his old-fashioned decency and dogged determination have won him legions of loyal fans. Collected here are all 17 episodes from the hit British mystery series starring Peter Davison (Doctor Who, All Creatures Great and Small), who plays the beleaguered Davies "with a pitch-perfect mix of self-effacement and irritation at the endless slights from crooks and fellow cops alike" (The Baltimore Sun).
Mocked by colleagues at his small London police station and estranged from his wife, he actually listens to advice from his kooky chum Mod (Sean Hughes, The Commitments). Still, Dangerous manages to make connections that the slicker cops miss and shows that underdogs do have their day.
BONUS PROGRAM: Dangerous Davies: The Last Detective, the 1981 movie starring Bernard Cribbins that tells the same story as series pilot.
DVD SPECIAL FEATURES INCLUDE: an interview with Peter Davison, Leslie Thomas bio and booklist, photo galleries, and cast filmographies.

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Agatha Christie's Marple: Series 1 (2005) Review

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(More customer reviews)I watched the new Miss Marple series, excited to see what Geraldine McEwan would do with the role. Unfortunately, I don't like what they've done with this latest batch of Christie's. Mrs. McEwan is a fine actress and she brings a "fluffiness" to the role that is missing from the Hickson version. Still, there is too much tampering with the plotlines to suit me. There are significant changes made in a couple of the stories, most notably in "The Body in the Library" so let the buyer beware. This isn't a minor change either as it involves the resolution of the case. They also add an odd, on-going storyline involving Miss Marple's own past love life that is simply not part of the books and isn't even close to being in keeping with the character of Miss Marple. As Agatha Christie is arguably the most acclaimed and accomplished mystery writer that ever lived, these changes were pretty outrageous. Her books stand the test of time and need no updating simply to satisfy 21st century ideas. I was surprised at this as the British are usually the ones who can be depended upon to leave good stories alone. So, if you just want a few hours of light entertainment, have at it, but if you're an Agatha Christie purist, you won't like this dvd so save your money.

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She's back! Proper, demure, and sharp as a tack, Agatha Christie's beloved Miss Marple returns to the limelight in sparkling new adaptations of four classic Christie novels. Geraldine McEwan (The Magdalene Sisters, Mapp & Lucia) is the ladylike sleuth, a wispy senior citizen who blows the police professionals out of the water with her keen insight and shrewdly analytical nature. Fearless and uncommonly wise to the worst in human nature, Marple has lived a long time-and she's paid attention. As seen on the PBS Mystery! series, these lavish 21st-century productions are rich in post-WWII period atmosphere and delicious Christie wit, with star-studded casts that include Joanna Lumley, Derek Jacobi, Tara Fitzgerald, Ian Richardson, Janet McTeer, Zok Wanamaker, Simon Callow, James Fox, John Hannah, and Celia Imrie. The Mysteries: Murder at the Vicarage The Body in the Library A Murder Is Announced 4:50 From Paddington DVD special features include an hour-long behind-the-scenes featurette with cast and crew interviews, a history of Miss Marple adaptations, a photo gallery and more.

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Foyle's War - Set 3 (2003) Review

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(More customer reviews)Series 3 of the excellent series Foyle's war was first telecast in the U.S. on PBS on 11, 18, 25 Sep. and 3 Oct. 2005 and was released on DVD on 1 Nov. 2005. However, watching the DVDs of all series is preferable if one wants to see the unexpurgated episodes. Here are the first telecast dates for series 1-4 of Foyle's war:
series 1: telecast UK Oct.-Nov. 2002, US in Feb. 2003 (on Masterpiece theater, with Russell Baker introducing)
series 2: telecast UK Nov.-Dec. 2003, US in July-Aug. 2004 (on Mystery)
series 3: telecast UK Oct.-Nov. 2004, US in Sep.-Oct. 2005 (on Mystery)
series 4: was filmed in spring 2005 and will be telecast in 2006
The PBS broadcasts in the US are edited for a 90-minute period, which includes the Mystery (or Masterpiece theater) opening-closing sequences, between-program promos, etc. This means that each episode is really only 85 minutes long at best. Region 1 DVDs (U.S., Canada), in contrast, are about 100 minutes per episode, as are the region 2 DVDs (Europe--see www.amazon.co.uk): specific values for the 4 episodes on series 2 are (for region 1) 98.5, 97.9, 98.3, 98.3 minutes. Thus in the U.S. for the proper, more nuanced episode watching Foyle's war on DVD is essential and preferable to viewing it on PBS.
Note: In a 28 Sep. 2004 interview with creator-writer Anthony Horowitz, he was asked: "Do you realise that the show is edited to pieces when it's shown on Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) in the states?" Horowitz replied: "Yes we're very sorry about that. It's not something I'd choose to do. It's American networking. I'd advise all American fans to get their hands on the English DVDs to see them in full." I note here that American fans need only get the *American* DVDs to see the episodes in full. Also, if you first watch the shortened PBS telecast, you may later wonder about some lengthier scenes when you watch the DVDs.

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The international hit mystery series continues with four stories set in 1941, as World War II rages over Europe. Michael Kitchen (Out of Africa) stars as detective Christopher Foyle, whose loyalties are put to the test as his investigations uncover unpleasant truths that powerful people would rather keep hidden. Grounded in historical fact and filmed in London and the southern counties of England, Foyle’s War opens a unique window on a significant time and place. As seen on PBS. Also starring Anthony Howell, Honeysuckle Weeks, Julian Ovenden, and featuring Corin Redgrave, Bill Paterson, Stella Gonet, Samuel West, Angela Thorne, and James Wilby. THE MYSTERIES:
THE FRENCH DROP-Investigating a suspicious death, Foyle gets caught up in the rivalry between the established spy agency MI5 and the newly created SOE (Special Operations Executive).
ENEMY FIRE-Sabotage, murder, and adultery at a pioneering RAF hospital brings Foyle face to face with the devastating physical and emotional consequences of war.
THEY FOUGHT IN THE FIELDS-A murdered farmer and the crash landing of a German plane present a confusing case, especially as spring is in the air and even Foyle is not immune to a whiff of romance.
A WAR OF NERVES-An unexploded bomb at a busy shipyard leads to a startling discovery in a complex story of greed and politics. DVD SPECIAL FEATURES INCLUDE behind-the-scenes documentary with interviews and exclusive "making-of" footage, production notes, and cast filmographies.

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Jonathan Creek - Season One (2001) Review

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(More customer reviews)It's about time..!!!.....this is a series of mysteries involving Jonathan (who designs magic tricks for a magician) and Maddy who is a journalist. Maddy always seems to get into situations where she needs Jonathan to bail her out. VERY good scripts and acting. If you like real British mysteries with lots of twists then this is the series to buy. Can't wait to see them again.

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Meet the magician with the trick of solving impossible crimes. Jonathan and Maddy investigate crimes which seem to have no rational explanation. Jonathan Creek is a bit of a nerd, but he is also a bit of a quick-witted genius. Maddy Magellan is an investigative crime writer, and the pair join forces to unravel a series of mysteries. Among their many adventures, Jonathan and Maddy encounter the powers of voodoo and dream-predictions, and cases involving strange disappearances, an alien life-form and tricks of time.

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A Touch of Frost: Season 14 Review

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(More customer reviews)An excellent set from an excellent series.Season 13 was the exception.Good
value here,though shorter average run time. Plots and photography are excellent,
and captioning is welcomed. "Frost" is getting older and if there are future
episodes made,he might wish to have less physical exertion involved.Suspenseful
story line (which is one of the joys of the series,along with food jokes,etc)
could be maintained without it.When the series does end,an interview with "Frost"
would make a nice addition to the final set.

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THE UK S #1 RATED DETECTIVE SHOWAward winning actor David Jason (Only Fools And Horses) returns as maverick detective Jack Frost in three intriguing new episodes of the successful crime drama series. In the first, a murderer is released from prison, and with grim new evidence - the body of the murdered woman killed 20 years before - Frost is forced to question everything that happened all those years ago. In the second, Frost is involved in a race against the clock to rescue kidnap victims, and solve a twisted revenge plot. In the third episode, a shallow grave is uncovered and three bodies are discovered. Could this be a ritual killing? Featured Episodes:Mind GamesDead EndIn the Public Interest

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Inspector Lynley - A Great Deliverance (2002) Review

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(More customer reviews)This wasn't exactly the story I was expecting to see after reading the novel (some aspects of the solution to the mystery were changed), but it still stood beautifully on its own. This program introduces the odd couple detective team of the aristocratic Thomas Lynley and the working class Barbara Havers, investigating the beheading of a farmer in a small English town. The locales were stunning, and the casting was true to the spirit of the characters in the books, although the dark-haired actor playing Lynley was a little hard to get used to. Sharon Small as the angry, defensive, beleaguered, vulnerable, good-hearted Havers was fantastic. Havers has always been the key character to me, the one I keep reading the mysteries for, and it was such a pleasure to see an actress capture who she was so beautifully. Everything important about the character was there: everything from her family problems to her budget clothing, her inferiority complex, her temper, her capability, her gentleness, and examples of the humorous situations that she keeps finding herself in. The actress was absolutely captivating. This is a wonderful start to this new line of video mysteries. I can't wait to see Havers on the screen again. This fan of Elizabeth George mysteries, for one, is absolutely thrilled.

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Talk about a puzzling case. Detective Inspector Thomas Lynley of Scotland Yard (Nathaniel Parker, Far from the Maddding Crowd) is assigned to investigate the gruesome murder of a farmer in a seemingly peaceful country village, but it’s his new partner, Sgt. Barbara Havers (Sharon Small, About a Boy), whom he’s finding indecipherable. Havers is as gritty, rumpled, and working-class as the Inspector is refined, well-heeled, and sophisticated. Is the murderer the farmer’s shy daughter who was found next to her father’s decapitated corpse? The nephew who stands to inherit the farm? The estranged wife who’s protecting her new family from an unsightly past? Or is it a suspicious village resident with a shady past and a weak alibi? Based on the best-selling mystery by Elizabeth George, A Great Deliverance introduces Inspector Lynley with first-rate performances and abundant amounts of nail-biting suspense.Special DVD features include: virtual tour of the Mystery! studio; Q&A with Nathaniel Parker and Sharon Small; selected cast filmographies; selected cast list; biography for Diana Rigg, host of Mystery!; bibliography for Elizabeth George; selected cast list; link to the Mystery! Web site; closed captions; and described video for the visually impaired.On one DVD9 disc.Region coding: All regions.Audio: Dolby stereo.Screen format: Letterboxed.

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The Sally Lockhart Mysteries - Shadow in the North Review

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(More customer reviews)I am sure that this is great but having seen the BBC version versus the PBS version, let me just say that the very critical scene of Fred proposing and her accepting is not in the PBS version. It isn't like you saw anything bad. But you did get to see Fred and Sally having a romantic moment, when she confesses that she didn't realize she is more with him than without. I refuse to buy this version.

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The year is 1878, and Sally Lockhart (Billie Piper, Mansfield Park) has started her own financial consulting business. When her client, Miss Walsh, loses a fortune from the unexpected collapse of the Anglo-Baltic shipping line, Sally is determined to find out why so many of their ships have mysteriously vanished without trace. Hoping to recover her client s money, she turns for help to her friends, Frederick (JJ Feild, Northanger Abbey) and Jim, who have started up their own detective agency.While pursuing their enquiries into the disappearance of the steamship Ingrid Linde, the three sleuths find themselves investigating stage magician Alistair MacKinnon who is being threatened by mysterious thugs, and a psychic medium who seems to be tapping into shady business secrets all of which draws them unwittingly into a dark and sinister plot fuelled by the dealings of the cruel and heartless industrialist Axel Bellmann, whose business is built on a horrifying secret.

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A Touch of Frost Season 13: Endangered Species Review

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(More customer reviews)I'm a great fan of this series. But the time to stop has arrived. This single 95 minute movie (hardly a season) has a very weak story and resorts to a series of gross situations that reflect the sad state of our popular culture today. And then there is the "love interest" between Frost and a woman young enough to be his granddaughter. (She's also about four inches taller.) Ridiculous. A great series gone sour. Enough!

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Award winning actor David Jason (Only Fools And Horses; The Darling Buds Of May) is back as maverick detective Jack Frost in this brand new story in the ratings winning crime series. Frost is called to investigate when a couple return from holiday to find the body of a complete stranger in their bed. He also becomes involved in a murder inquiry and uncovers a crime ring involved in the importing of endangered species and illegal animal goods. However, all this work doesn't leave him with much time to devote to his latest romantic interest!

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Midsomer Murders: The Early Cases Collection Review

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(More customer reviews)Imagine Saint Mary Mead. Squared.
That about describes the setting of "Midsomer Murders," a morbidly witty British mystery series based on Caroline Graham's novels. And "Midsomer Murders: The Early Cases" brings together the first eighteen cases in this cozy, dark little county, making up most of the first four seasons.
In the pilot episode, an elderly spinster is is hunting for orchids when she comes across something strange in the woods -- and soon she's found dead, with a broken neck. Chief Inspector Tom Barnaby (John Nettles) is persuaded to investigate further, and soon he discovers that there's something far nastier coming up -- more bloody killings, secret incest, and an old forgotten crime.
"The Killings in Badger's Grift" is perhaps the clumsiest episode of the series, with some horribly over-the-top acting and a weird dream sequence. But the writers get their footing with "Written in Blood," about a double murder rooted in the shared past of two middle-aged men -- one a bestselling novelist.
From there on, Barnaby and his assistant, Detective Sergeant Gavin Troy (Daniel Casey), are forced to investigate all sorts of crimes -- obviously each episode has a murder, but there's plenty of adultery, theft, kidnapping, insanity and "cold cases" that are connected to current murders.
And they have to deal with some very strange crimes -- a strangled cigarette model, a New Age lodge, snotty aristocrats, a local sexpot's kidnapping (or not), a trophy wife murdered with a cricket bat, mysterious tramps, nursing home murders, a thief killed by a pitchfork, a haunted museum, toxic mushrooms, crop circles, adulterous mailmen, and a wedding that is disrupted when the groom's father is hoisted out of a well.
Honestly, I think Miss Marple would feel right at home -- such a pretty, homey, sunshiney place, full of kindly spinsters and genial aristocrats. The whole thing is set in the various villages of Midsomer County, which is picturesque, lush, and full of farms, cute little English villages and cottages.
So of course, there are gruesome murders, plotting and tawdry secrets hidden in every corner; several spill out in every episode, and only some of them have to do with the main murder. But the writers keep a funny edge in the stories, such as Barnaby being shadowed by his daughter's boyfriend, or certain lines when off duty ("You're just jealous because I have a coconut and you haven't!").
And these cops are pretty believable detectives. John Nettles is absolutely wonderful as the kindly, middle-aged cop with a brain like stainless steel, whose nice sedate family is a relief from all the Midsomer weirdos. And Daniel Casey is solid as his younger, brasher assistant.
Most of the villagers are played by excellent actors as well, no matter how weird their characters are. Grumpy mediums, mad vicars and nasty little schoolboys are only a few, with Emily Mortimer and Jonathan Firth playing one-off roles. And keep an eye out for Orlando Bloom as a sneering young thief in one of these episodes -- he's not only great at being nasty, but he has a priceless death scene.
"Midsomer Murders: The Early Cases" is a big, solidly-written chunk of British coziness, spanning almost four seasons. And it has murder and scandal in every episode.

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As seen on A&E and The Biography Channel WHAT EVIL LURKS BEYOND THE WELL-TRIMMED HEDGES OF MIDSOMER . . . The cozy villages of Midsomer County reveal their most sinister secrets in these contemporary British television mysteries. The smash hit series stars John Nettles (Bergerac) as Detective Chief Inspector Barnaby, a dogged investigator and devoted family man, unflappable in the face of the maxabre crimes and eccentric characters he encounters on the job. Collected here are the first 18 episodes by original U.K. broadcast date.These include the five mysteries adapted from the novels of Caroline Graham, as well as the next 13 original stories inspired by her characters. DS Gavin Troy (Daniel Casey), Barnaby's first and longest-serving deputy, assists the chief on all of these cases.Guest stars include EmilyMortimer, Anna Massey, Richard Briers, Prunella Scales, Julian Wadham, Orlando Bloom, and Celia Imrie.DVD SPECIAL FEATURES INCLUDE essay by John Nettles, Midsomer map, production notes, behind-the-scenes featurette, Caroline Graham biography, and cast filmographies. Plus exclusive bonus disc: Super Sleuths a documentary about the show's first decade, featuring John Nettles, Caroline Graham, writer Anthony Horowitz, and others.Mysteries previoulsy released on DVD as Sets One, Two, Three and Five.

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A Touch of Frost - Season 6 Review

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(More customer reviews)Frost is an English policeman in a mid sized English city (Denton) who is an unpolished (Inspector) Morse.
He is not neat,dislikes authority (comic elements in both),but is clever,brave,lucky and empthetic with
victims.He is given a new partner in each episode.The acting,photography,music and character
development are excellent.In series 6,his house has been rebuilt
(after the fire) and he takes in a lodger
to help pay his bills (includes a loveable dog).In the first case,
he solves an old case (Appendix Man) after
being convinced to withdraw his resignation.In the second he solves a case with a dead teenaged runaway and meat processors
who are involved in smuggling and ultimately
murder.The most attractive feature of this set is the price
reduction which brings it in line with similar
DVD sets.One does have to get used to the English
use of episode titles which are not very revealing or
informative to US viewers.An excellent series.

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"(David) Jason gives Frost the iciness needed for the role…"-- The Los Angeles Daily NewsA Touch of Frost is one of Britain’s most successful detective series and stars award-winning actor David Jason as Detective Inspector Jack Frost, a policeman with a knack for attracting trouble. Set in the dreary town of Denton, Frost approaches each case with his characteristic dry wit and a sense of moral justice. A Touch of Frost Season 6 includes: "Appendix Man" – Reeling from the loss of his former partner, D.C. Barnard, Frost resigns from the force. But, he soon returns to investigate the suspicious death of a reclusive art collector. "One Man’s Meat" – To pay the bills, Frost takes in a renter with a dog. Next, while Frost investigates the death of a homeless teenager, the dismembered arm of a health officer, washes up on the shoreline on the other side of England. "Private Lives" – A peaceful village isn’t all it appears to be. Frost’s new partner checks out a hit-and-run accident that injures an elderly woman. Frost squares an account with an old adversary. "Keys ToThe Car" – A golf club paramour leaves behind a trail of satisfied golf widows, unpaid bar bills and stolen cars. When a drug dealer’s body is found inside the trunk of one of the vehicles, Frost tries to find the connection between the gigolo, the drug dealer and the owner of the stolen car.

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The Complete Inspector Lynley Mysteries (2002) Review

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(More customer reviews)"And you know what I would say? The world can wait." -- Lynley to Havers in a poignant moment from "In the Blink of an Eye."
This series was intelligent and entertaining, and one of my all time favorites in the history of television. Now that it has finally ended, despite the campaign to save it, this fabulous boxed set is being released. It covers everything from the initial "A Great Deliverance" through the final episode. For those who have never seen it, it is like finding a diamond among rocks. And for those who looked forward to seeing Lynley and Havers each season more than anyone else on television, it is the perfect opportunity to look back and remember why we fell in love with this BBC show which became a staple of PBS's Mystery.
Nathaniel Parker as Lynley and Sharon Small as Havers were perfect for their roles. The Inspector Lynley series was smart and atmospheric, Debbie Wiseman's opening music setting the tone for each intriguing installment. Based on Elizabeth George's characters, the BBC show grew and matured beyond the books, which frustrated some, yet delighted others. The dashing Lynley was originally paired with Havers due to politics and because it was taken for granted he would not be distracted by her in a romantic way. He was Oxford and she was from the other side of life.
The clashes that came in the first two seasons due to those differences became less important as the two quickly found there was more to each other than their reputations. They proved a great team and became quite close, their deep friendship and affection for each other rarely dwelled upon but always there beneath the surface. By season three when personal crisis hit both of them hard, it was each other to which they clung.
By season five the series had become more than the sum of its parts. Havers had softened some over time and Lynley had become more accessible, both due to the influence of the other. Season five began with Lynley suspended pending an inquiry into brutality charges, in "Natural Causes." Barbara had been paired with a very pregnant D.I. not warmed by Lynley's manner. He believes she is overlooking promising leads and ingratiates himself into the investigation. The episode provided some fun as towards the conclusion Barbara is the acting D.I. and Lynley must do her bidding.
The final episode of season five would provide one of the most poignant moments in the entire series. "In the Blink of an Eye" had a murder in Soho tied to horrific crimes in Bosnia. Catherine Russell portrayed Lynley's beloved Helen by season five and it would be her involvement in the case which would bring about events so tragic and unforseen that they would send our favorite Inspector into the bottle.
Havers and an old case would help Lynley crawl back among the living once again in season six. In "Limbo," first aired in Australia, the remains of Lynley's godson are discovered twelve years after he was reported missing. Lynley becomes deeply involved with the deceased's sister and will himself become the prime suspect in a second murder. In "Know Thine Enemy" one young schoolgirl kills herself to escape captivity and Lynley and Havers try to find another before tragedy strikes twice.
Parker and Small sparkled in their roles, giving carefully nuanced performances in mysteries both intelligent and entertaining. Fans of quality television and especially mystery lovers will find a bonanza in these 23 installments starring Nathaniel Parker and Sharon Small as Lynley and Havers. Fans truly cherished this show as much as Lynley did his cars, especially his Bristol. Included in this wonderful boxed set for fans is:
A Great Deliverance --- SEASON ONE / Well-Schooled in Murder --- Payment in Blood --- For the Sake of Elena --- Missing Joseph SEASON TWO / Playing for the Ashes --- In the Presence of the Enemy --- A Suitable Vengeance --- Deception on His Mind SEASON THREE / In Pursuit of the Proper Sinner --- A Traitor to Memory --- A Cry for Justice --- If Wishes Were Horses SEASON FOUR / In Divine Proportion --- In the Guise of Death --- The Seed of Cunning --- The Word of God SEASON FIVE --- Natural Causes --- One Guilty Deed --- Chinese Walls --- In the Blink of an Eye SEASON SIX / Limbo --- Known Thine Enemy

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COMPLETE INSPECTOR LYNLEY MYSTERIES - DVD Movie

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The Last Enemy (2008) Review

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(More customer reviews)I was having a discussion with a much younger person, a college freshman, who was talking enthusiastically about how much she accomplishes on the internet: banking, investing, shopping, updating her information on Facebook. I suggested that she read George Orwell's 1984, Margaret Atwood's Handmaid's Tale and watch the movie The Net. Also to check out what happened during the 2003 North East Blackout when debit cards wouldn't work, computers stopped, cell towers were overloaded so it was hard to make a call and if you needed a card to enter a building, you're out of luck. This BBC drama takes the whole scenario even further to demonstrate the good and the bad of using surveillance technology to protect us as long as we are considered "the good citizens." You don't have to be particularly paraniod to see how many of the things written about in 1984 and The Handmaid's Tale have become matters of course.
This series has excellent acting, plenty of suspense and makes you want to watch it all in one viewing. It's entertaining as well as thought-provoking.

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Item Name: The Last Enemy; Studio:WGBH - Preorder

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George Gently: Series Two Review

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(More customer reviews)BBC excellence in another series of a great TV show. Series 2 is even better than the first. In the 1st, George Gently is a fearless London crime fighter cop who moves to Northumberland (NE England) after his wife is murdered. Gently has not given up fighting crime of all sorts and is now Chief Inspector in the new, and extremely beautiful north countryside.
Perhaps even better than the great plots of crime that Gently faces is the relationship with his Sargent John Bacchus (Lee Ingleby-'Nicholas Nicleby'), a very young assistant in the investigations, intent on learning from and outdoing his leader, Gently. Their work together, dialogue, and personal relationship is often funny--always entertaining. Ingleby is as good at being Bacchus as star Martin Shaw ('Judge John Deed''The Professionals''Master and Commander')is at being the not-so-gentle-Gently.
The show is very comparable to other perfections in British Crime/Mystery Drama such as "Murdoch Mysteries"-Victorian era crime, "Foyles War"-WWII era crime, and "Midsomer Murders" country village crime outside of London. This "GEORGE GENTLY" series takes place in 1964, as authentic in detail to the era as the other shows, although not as many murders as Midsome--but they try at times. Gently doesn't have as large a group of assistants as Murdoch--but he gets all he needs in help and entertainment factor from his one primary partner in sleuthing. Masterful writing in this Cop-copper relationship, youth pitted against the old, experience against initiative, big-city experience vs small-town skill.
Episodes include:
1 Gently with the Innocents--murder in a children's home.
2 Gently in the Night--corpse on a church altar.
3 Gently in the Blood--passport fraud, murder, Arab intolerance, more.
4 Gently Through the Mill--is it suicide or murder? Why?
+ Bonus, text interviews with the 2 coppers, notes, fun 1964 facts.
SDH SUBTITLES are PROVIDED
4 feature-length episodes, each 89 minutes, each serve as great stand-alone crime mystery films tied together only by a 1964 date, a wonderful location, and 2 great roles.
Not rated, but not recommended for the kiddies, Bloody good murder, emphasis on the bloody.

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"Great performances and superb characterizations" --San Francisco Chronicle
Bringing an air of world-weary dignity to his role, Martin Shaw (Judge John Deed, The Professionals) returns as Inspector George Gently, a former Scotland Yard sleuth now tracking murderers in Britain\'s North Country. Far from London, these once-quiet counties are just beginning to feel the social and political changes of the 1960s. The menacing crimes test even Gently\'s big-city experience and hard-won wisdom. And his impulsive young protégé, Sergeant John Bacchus (Lee Ingleby, Nicholas Nickleby), tests nearly all of his patience.
This series finds Gently and Bacchus confronting sex-club entrepreneurs, corrupt politicians, gangs, and more. The first-rate supporting casts include Tim McInnerny (Blackadder), Nicholas Jones (Kavanagh QC), Mark Williams (Harry Potter), and Andrew Lee Potts (Primeval). Based on the long-running series of novels by Alan Hunter, these feature-length modern dramas teem with intrigue, wit, and style.

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The Inspector Lynley Mysteries - Series 6 (2007) Review

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(More customer reviews)I mentioned when writing about season five that this delicately etched and excellently acted series on PBS's "Mystery" was my favorite. It still is. I truly believe it is the finest show on television. Nathaniel Parker's Inspector Thomas Lynley and Sharon Small's Barbara Havers are eagerly awaited with passion each season by this viewer like nothing else on television.
Based on Elizabeth George's characters, the BBC show has grown and matured into something really special. The mysteries are always well-written and the lead characters have been allowed to let life and what each brings to the table change both themselves and how they view each other. Parker and Small are a fabulous duo who balance each other out.
The dashing Lynley was originally paired with Havers because it was taken for granted he would not be distracted by her in a romantic way. But the two quickly found there was more to each other than their reputations, and proved a great team. They also became quite close, their deep friendship and affection for each other rarely dwelled upon but always there beneath the surface.
Havers has given the dashing Lynley depth and complexity while he has given her a softer appearance over time. Small really looked terrific in season five with her hair down. Though some griped it was a deviation from the books, it is this intelligent lack of stagnation which has kept things fresh.
Season five ended tragically as Lynley's world changed in the blink of an eye when his beloved Helen was killed. One of the most poignant moments of the series found Havers sitting with Lynley after her funeral to make the world wait a few moments. It is intelligent and very real moments such as that which make this show tower head and shoulders above everything else out there.
It is for that reason that a massive campaign is being waged to persuade the BBC to continue to produce the show so that PBS fans in America can enjoy these richly mature and intelligent mysteries. The carefully nuanced performances of Nathaniel Parker and Sharon Small as Lynley and Havers would be harder to live without than Lynley's beloved Bristol.
Until that happens, we can at least enjoy the two episodes here on season six. In "Limbo," first aired in Australia, the remains of Lynley's godson are discovered twelve years after he was reported missing. Lynley becomes deeply involved with the deceased's sister and will become the prime suspect in a second murder. In "Know Thine Enemy" one young schoolgirl kills herself to escape captivity and Lynley and Havers try to find another before tragedy strikes twice.
The Inspector Lynley series is smart and atmospheric, Debbie Wiseman's opening music setting the tone for each intriguing installment. Fans cherish this show and hopefully this won't be the last we see of our favorite detectives.

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INSPECTOR LYNLEY MYSTERIES 6 SET - DVD Movie

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Midsomer Murders: Set 15 (2010) Review

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(More customer reviews)While I am thrilled that in 2010 Acorn is giving us an extra release of Midsomer Murders, I am disappointed that the second set of the year only includes three episodes:
Ep. 60 Shot at Dawn (or. broadcast Jan 1, 08)
Ep. 61 Blood Wedding (or. broadcast Jul 6, 08)
Ep. 62 Left For dead (or. broadcast Jul 20, 08)
Which means in the US we are still running two years behind the original broadcast. Still, the consolation is that in Blood Wedding we finally get to see Cully marry her Simon. And as a special treat, there is a guest appearance from Gavin Troy (Barnaby's original sidekick)! I think the series did loose a little heart and humour with Gavin's departure and I will be very happy to see this character return, if only for one episode.
A side note: August 19th, 2010 will be John Nettles' last day of filming on Midsomer Murders. His run as Barnaby will end with episode 82, likely not due in the US until 2013, ghhrr... Reportedly, DS Ben Jones and Dr Bullard are staying on. ITV is mum on who is replacing Nettles, though wild rumours are circulating that it could even possibly be a she, rather then a he...
UPDATE (Feb 10, 2010): Nettles' replacement has finally been revealed. I have included the details in Set 16 review.
PS: For those new to this British masterpiece, Midsomer Murders is a long running "who done it", based on the novels of Caroline Graham, starring John Nettles (of the Bergerac fame) as the unflappable Detective Chief Inspector Barnaby. The series is set in the fictional Misomer County, which comprises of many cosy, rural villages, where wealthy and poor alike seem to do each other in at an average rate of three to four bodies per episode. The series has a worldwide following, not in the least due to the creative and macabre ways in which the MM victims are typically dispatched.


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WHAT EVIL LURKS BEYOND THE WELL-TRIMMED HEDGES OF MIDSOMER…
The cozy villages of Midsomer County reveal their most sinister secrets in these contemporary British television mysteries. Inspired by the novels of Caroline Graham, modern master of the English village mystery, the series stars John Nettles (Bergerac) as the unflappable Detective Chief Inspector Tom Barnaby, with Jason Hughes (This Life) as his earnest, efficient protégé, Detective Sergeant Ben Jones. Guest stars include Daniel Casey, Samantha Bond, Donald Sinden, Malcolm Sinclair, Maggie Steed, and George Cole.
THE MYSTERIES Blood Wedding -- Cully\'s wedding day is fast approaching, but a series of bizarre murders at an upper-class wedding leave Barnaby distracted.Shot at Dawn -- A long-standing family feud erupts into violence after a disgraced soldier\'s name is placed on a World War I memorial. Left for Dead -- Barnaby discovers a potential link between a double murder and a decades-old disappearance in the sleepy town of Dunstan.
Bonus disc: Super Sleuths, a documentary about Midsomer Murders in which John Nettles, Caroline Graham, Anthony Horowitz, and others reflect on the show\'s first decade.

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Marple: The Classic Mysteries Collection (Caribbean Mystery / 4:50 from Paddington / Moving Finger / Nemesis / At Bertram's Hotel / Murder at Vicarage / Sleeping Murder / They Do It with Mirrors / Mirror Crack'd from Side to Side) Review

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(More customer reviews)There she sits: A white-haired lady dressed in tweeds, a pair of knitting needles in her lap, more interested in village gossip than in the goings-on of the world at large - and out of nothing, she utters sentences like that.
For more likely than not, another murder has been committed; and Miss Jane Marple, elderly spinster from the village of St. Mary Mead, just happens to find herself near the scene of the crime. And also more likely than not, while the police are still toddling around searching for clues she'll find the solution - relying on her ever-unfailing "village parallels;" those seemingly innocuous incidents of village life that make up the sum of her knowledge of human nature, and to which she routinely turns in unmasking even the cleverest killer. "Miss Marple is a white-haired old lady with a gentle, appealing manner - Miss Wetherby is a mixture of vinegar and gush. Of the two Miss Marple is the more dangerous," already observes Vicar Clement, the narrator of Miss Marple's literary debut, 1930's "Murder at the Vicarage" (although in the BBC series, only her fifth adventure).
Originally airing in the 1980s, the BBC's adaptations of Agatha Christie's twelve Miss Marple novels featured Joan Hickson in the title role; quickly establishing her as the quintessential Miss Marple even in the view of the grandmother (or rather, grand-aunt) of all village sleuths and "noticing kinds of persons"'s creator, Dame Agatha herself. (After seeing Hickson in an adaptation of her "Appointment With Death," as early as 1946 Christie reportedly sent her a note expressing the hope she would one day "play my dear Miss Marple.") Prior versions, partly involving rather high-octane casts, had seen as Miss Marple, inter alia, Angela Lansbury and Margaret Rutherford, but had been decidedly less faithful to Christie's books. While Lansbury holds her own fairly well when compared to the character's literary original in 1980's "Hollywood does Christie" version of "The Mirror Crack'd" (and that movie's ageing actresses' showdown featuring Elizabeth Taylor and Kim Novak is a delight to watch), the four movies starring Rutherford are only loosely based on Christie's books: Dame Margaret's Miss Marple, although itself likewise a splendid performance, has about as much to do with Agatha Christie's demure and seemingly scatterbrained village sleuth as Big Ben does with the English countryside, and of the scripts, only "Murder, She Said" is an adaptation of a Miss Marple mystery ("4:50 From Paddington"), whereas two of the others - "Murder at the Gallop" and "Murder Most Foul" - are actually Hercule Poirot stories ("After the Funeral" and "Mrs. McGinty's Dead," respectively), and "Murder Ahoy" is based on a completely independent screenplay.
Following the rule that ever since Sherlock Holmes and Inspector Lestrade every great private detective needs a policeman he can outwit, the creators of the BBC series inserted the character of Inspector Slack into almost all storylines - hardly in keeping with the literary originals, which are set over a period of more than 30 years and thus, exceed the career span of a policeman already advanced on his professional path at the time of his first encounter with Miss Marple; even if the BBC's Slack is promoted from D.I. in the series's first instalment, 1984's "The Body in the Library" (where he really does appear) to Superintendent in 1992's "The Mirror Crack'd" (which is originally only an Inspector Craddock story). Yet, Hickson's and Horovitch's face-offs are a fun addition; and one is almost ready to pity Slack, who hardly ever gets a foot down vis-a-vis Miss Marple's quick rejoinders and, in the words of her friend, retired Scotland Yard chief Sir Henry Clithering, "wonderful gift to state the obvious." (During a conversation with Craddock [John Castle] in "The Mirror Crack'd," Slack - whom Miss Marple herself, in the TV adaptation of "Murder at the Vicarage," has already likened to a railway diesel engine, or in that story's literary original to a shoe vendor intent on selling you patent leather boots while completely ignoring your request for brown calf leather instead - unaware that he is talking to one of Aunt Jane's nephews, rather unsubtly credits her with having "a mind like a meat cleaver.")
Although Agatha Christie herself reportedly preferred Miss Marple over Hercule Poirot, her audience's demands compelled her to bring back the moustachioed Belgian with the many little grey cells much more frequently than the village sleuth from St. Mary Mead. All the greater the tribute paid to "Dear Aunt Jane" in these lovingly-executed adaptations - now, if only this set also contained the series' first three entries ...
Episodes included:
"Murder at the Vicarage" (1930, BBC 1986; Christie's first Marple story)
"The Moving Finger" (1942, BBC 1985)
"They Do It with Mirrors" (1952, BBC 1991)
"4:50 From Paddington" (1957, BBC 1987; a/k/a "What Mrs. McGillicuddy Saw!")
"The Mirror Crack'd" (1962, BBC 1992; title taken from Tennyson's "Lady of Shalott")
"At Bertram's Hotel" (1965; BBC 1987)
"A Caribbean Mystery" (1965, BBC 1989)
"Nemesis" (1971, BBC 1987; sequel to the above)
"Sleeping Murder" (1976, BBC 1987; Christie's last Miss Marple mystery)
Episodes not included:
"The Body in the Library" (1942, BBC 1984, the first adaptation starring Hickson)
"A Murder Is Announced" (1950, BBC 1985)
"A Pocket Full of Rye" (1953, BBC also 1985)
Also recommended:
Murder at the Vicarage: A Miss Marple Mystery (Agatha Christie Collection)
Agatha Christie: Five Complete Miss Marple Novels (Avenel Suspense Classics)
Miss Marple: The Complete Short Stories
Miss Marple - 3 Feature Length Mysteries (The Body in the Library / A Murder Is Announced / A Pocketful of Rye)
The Mirror Crack'd

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Return to post-war England for mystery and a cup of tea with Agatha Christie’s most popular creation. The consummate prim and proper crime-fighting spinster, Miss Jane Marple sets down her knitting needles to unwind the most ingenious crimes. As she travels from city to countryside and even the Bahamas, murders, missing bodies and haunted dreams have a habit of falling across Miss Marple’s path--which is precisely when, "tail up and head down," the beloved aunt and godmother goes into action. Digitally re-mastered and faithfully adapted from Agatha Christie’s best-selling novels, THE CLASSIC MYSTERIES COLLECTION features Joan Hickson (Christie’s personal choice to play the spinster sleuth) in over fifteen hours of suspense, misdirection, rich period detail, and the cleverest solutions imaginable.DVD Features: Complete Index of all Miss Marple Stories; Agatha Christie Bio; Joan Hickson Biography/Filmography; Interactive Menus; Scene Selection

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