Recommendations for those who like British mysteries (streaming and non-streaming)

[Lydia Leftcoast]

If you loved Inspector Morse, try Kavanagh QC, which also stars the late, lamented John Thaw. In this series, he plays a barrister with a wife and teenage children. This is no Law and Order or Boston Legal. The cases are complex and full of twists and turns. Sometimes Kavanagh learns that the person he got off was really guilty. Sometimes he doesn't get the person off. Sometimes he takes cases in which he doesn't agree with the person he's representing. There's a strong supporting cast, too.

If your tastes are more in the Poirot/Miss Marple vein, you'll probably enjoy Midsomer Murders, which briefly played on A&E when it was still artistic and entertaining. Think of the English village mystery updated. It's been running forever, and about 16 or 17 volumes of DVDs are available.

Jonathan Creek, which ran on BBC America until they went all-reality shows all the time, is a quirky mystery about a disheveled nerdy type who makes his living designing illusions for magicians. A true crime writer named Maddie Magellan asks him to figure out how an "impossible" crime was committed, and the series is off and running. One of the delights of the series was the affectionate bickering between Jonathan and Maddie, so the final season, in which Jonathan gets a new woman sidekick, is not as good.

Blue Murder stars Caroline Quentin, who played Maddie on Jonathan Creek as a police detective with four children. (She gets divorced during the first season.)

A Touch of Frost stars David Jason as a weary, older detective who is always in trouble with his superiors. This series is available on streaming.

Wire in the Blood stars Robson Green as a psychologist who advises the police. This series is not for the faint-hearted, as some of the crimes are really gruesome.

Dalziel and Pascoe is gradually becoming available in the U.S. Based on the novels by Reginald Hill, it's about a gruff, sarcastic older detective (Dalziel) and a younger, university-educated detective (Pascoe) working in Yorkshire. Part of the fun is watching Dalziel interact with Pascoe and the world in general.

George Gently is about a police detective in the early 1960s who is sent to a rural area. Martin Shaw (who played Adam Dalgliesh in the most recent dramatizations of P.D. James' novels) plays the world-weary detective confronting the social changes of the era.

Life on Mars is much better than the tepid U.S. remake. John Sim (the Master on the new Doctor Who) is the present-day cop who is transported back to the 1970s, and thanks to less stringent censorship on British television, Philip Glenister is a much more acerbic and sarcastic boss than Harvey Keitel was.

These should keep you busy for a while. :-)

[Ptah]

1. I recommend 'A Touch of Frost'

I enjoyed it very much.

Thanks for the other recommendations.

:thumbsup:

[rosesaylavee]

51. Watched all 40+ episodes

based on your recommendation. They didn't make enough of them is our continued lament.

We miss seeing new Jack stories. A lot.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

2. Forgot about Taggart, a Scottish mystery series that has

literally outlived its original star by about 15 years.

I've seen some of the early episodes, and they're a bit hard to understand sometimes, especially with no closed captioning, but I'm enjoying them anyway.

[cbayer]

3. Great post and one I will refer to a lot in the future.

Thanks for all the work you put into this!

:hi:

[Lydia Leftcoast]

4. But wait! There's more!

City of Vice is a miniseries about criminal justice in London in the 18th century. It is very dark---LITERALLY--because the director decided to use only the light that would actually have been available at any given time and place in the 18th century. Having toured some 18th-century manor houses, I was struck by a scene in which a family is huddled in one room with only a candelabra and a fireplace for illumination.

New Tricks is about a policewoman who is picked to head up a cold case squad with a bunch of washed-up older cops. This one has some comedy elements, and the older cops are all real characters.

Waking the Dead does not have any comedy elements. It's also about a cold case headed up by a real neurotic who is prone to outbursts and is tormented by the unsolved disappearance of his son. This show differs from the U.S. series Cold Case in that the personalities of the investigators play a larger part, and there are side plots involving their personal lives.

Cracker, starring Robbie Coltrane of the Harry Potter movies, is a 1990s classic about a psychology professor who consults with the police and whose personal life is messy in several ways.

For a variation on the cozy English village mystery, there are the cozy Scottish village mysteries of Hamish Macbeth.

I've listed mostly mysteries that were never shown on PBS, and there are some in my Netflix queue and on my iTunes wish list that I haven't seen yet, including Trial and Retribution, Wycliffe, A Mind to Kill, and The Helen West Mysteries. I wish that Ruth Rendell's Inspector Wexford mysteries would be released on DVD, but so far, they're available only on British VHS, which will not play on American VCRs unless run through a tape conversion machine.

For those who have region-free DVD players, I recommend Ashes to Ashes, which is a sequel of sorts to Life on Mars. In this one, Keeley Hawes (formerly of MI-5/Spooks) is sent back to the 1980s and meets up with some of the same characters who were in Life on Mars. It starts slow but gets much better.

[petronius]

5. Some great ideas there! I really need to rewatch Cracker

Pretty sure I didn't see them all, but the creepy skinhead murderer chanting "L-I-V, E-R-P, double-O-L, Liverpool FC!" has stuck with me...

Did you mention Inspector Lynley in your other post, or the Inspector Lewis follow on to Morse? I'd also add Jericho, although it seems that there was only four episodes...

[Lydia Leftcoast]

6. I'm concentrating on ones that were never shown on PBS

:-)

[petronius]

7. Elitist!

:rofl:

[beac]

9. Didn't realize that when I posted my list below (all of which ran on 'Mystery' at some point)

so here's one that didn't:

Cribb (aka Sergeant Cribb) set in Victorian England around the time of the Ripper murders. Cribb works in the newly-formed CID and uses 'modern' detective methods to solve crimes.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

10. That one actually DID run on PBS

but a long time ago. According to the Internet Movie Database, it ran in 1980-81 in Britain.

[beac]

8. You've mentioned some of my favorites and given me some new ones to check out.

Thanks! :hi:

Some other British faves of mine:

Prime Suspect (of course!)

Second Sight (Clive Owen as a detective losing his sight)

Brother Cadfael (starring Derek Jacobi)

An Unsuitable Job for a Woman (adapted from the P.D. James novels and starring Helen Baxendale)

Touching Evil (UK version, not the crappy US retread)

[travelingtypist]

11. I'm streaming Wire in the Blood Season 1 now.

It really reminds me of the Prime Suspect series, also not for the faint of heart, I guess because of the blond female lead and the accents.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

12. DEFINITELY not for the squeamish

but not as intense as Messiah (nothing to do with either Handel's oratorio or Jesus), which is sort of like the movie Seven in its "ewww" factor.

[travelingtypist]

18. And I had no idea it had six seasons.

I just finished the three episodes of Season 1 when I looked at went :wow:. Awesome. It's like when I found Sue Grafton at H is for whatever and realized I loved her stuff and had nine books to catch up on. I love that.

[travelingtypist]

20. Now I'm finished with them.

I have to say it's weird the way it just ended, boom, after Tony killed the cannibal.

[NV Whino]

31. I'm into season 4

and miss Hermoine Norris. But I'm warming up to the new gal. Great series.

[elleng]

13. Thanks for 'Frost!'

[Lars39]

16. I didn't know if I wanted to stick with Frost, since it started as kind of a downer,

but it got a bit more upbeat as it went along...I really enjoyed the series. :)

[NV Whino]

32. I'm kind of iffy on Frost

I expect I will finish it out at some point, but there are so many others that are better in my opinion. Wire in the Blood, for instance.

[Lars39]

33. They got into a comfortable groove and stuck to it.

Very soothing if you don't like the unpredictable. :D

[GentryDixon]

14. One I wish they would offer

up is "Mother Love" with Diana Rigg. It is not available at all at this time. Excellent movie.

[GentryDixon]

15. Another excellent production

from BBC: Masterpiece Contemporary: Collision

[Lars39]

17. Just finished Collision....

quite nice. Neat the way the storyline advanced.

[Tikki]

19. British streaming: Monroe:Class of '76 (I)

Good miniseries with Robert Carlyle as DI Monroe...suprise ending...


Tikki

[supernova]

21. Inspector Lynley

is a great series.

Lynley is an Earl who works for the police department and his partner, Detective Sargent Barbara Havers, has a working class background. They solve crimes obviously but the heart of the show thrives around their working out their class/gender issues against each other. And you get the feeling that if things were different, they'd be .. together. :loveya:

[beac]

23. I love the Inspector Lynley programs. I wish Netflix would get them all.

As it is, they only have a few and they all come up individually instead of as a series. Though, I suppose, that it the fault of the show's producers who chose to make each episode it's own DVD instead of putting multiples on one.

[supernova]

24. Same here

I hate that the early shows are DVD only since I only have the streaming option And I was annoyed at having to search Netflix for individual titles and individually add them to my queue. :P

[supernova]

22. Rosemary & Thyme

If you like your crimes on the genteel side with a bit of botany, these are really fun. I gave my sister the set for xmas one year because she's such an avid gardner. You might recognize one of the ladies from Good Neighbors ages ago.

These two ladies decide to team up and run their own landscaping business. One is a former horticulture professor, the other a former policewoman. All the crimes always have some gardening angle.

[petronius]

25. I just saw a couple of episodes of "Pie in the Sky", which also seems to be on the light-hearted

side of the genre.

And I'll second your R&T recommendation - I've enjoyed the few of those that I've seen..

[KoKo]

30. I've watched the whole series twice through the years. It's a nice one for

these tough times we are in. The gardening/botany makes it interesting and the gorgeous estates they get to work on are a nice break for those of us waiting for Spring.

[jannyk]

26. Rebus and Silent Witness are showing on TV here in Canada

right now. Have read all the Ian Rankin 'Rebus' books and the series is very well done. Silent Witness is a bit like CSI but much less glitzy. Dalziel & Pascoe, George Gently, Cracker & Midsommer Murders are also on here weekly in 2 hour blocks - been quite spoiled - back to Netflix in a couple of weeks though.

[Tikki]

27. Waking The Dead (I)...Season 5 added on April 2nd...

I believe prior Seasons are still on NetFlix....




Tikki
Your recommendations always appreciated..

[jannyk]

28. Just finished watching "Whitechapel", "The Last Enemy" "Touching Evil"

and halfway through "Murphy's Law" - all here in Canada.

I know 'Last Enemy' is on Netflix ('cause I streamed it before we left)

If the others are not yet - then watch for them. 'Touching Evil' is exceptionally good (especially if you enjoyed Robson Green in Wire in the Blood).

One that has just started here (so I won't get to watch it all) is Judge Dredd - starring Martin Shaw from George Gently - looks good too

[KoKo]

29. Thanks, Lydia. Jonathan Creek is the only one I've seen and

just the first episode. Glad to know there are others. Your list is a great reference.

[supernova]

34. Cadfael

Cadfael is a 12-Century crusader turned monk. Derek Jacobi runs the abbey apothecary and is by extention village herbalist. Since he is the closest thing they have to a scientist, Cadfael is called upon to solve crimes.

Netflix has DVDs, but I'm streaming the episodes on YouTube.

[Tikki]

35. THANKS...I like what I see, so far....

Hope NetFlix will stream this soon...

Tikki
your recommendations always appreciated

[KoKo]

37. Cadfael is excellent...herbs, spices...intrigue. Lots of us DU'er would find this mystery series

very interesting...historically, herbally and spiritually.

[MaineDem]

44. I got the first disk today

Will watch it tomorrow.

[supernova]

45. Hope you enjoy it

Cadfael is one of those series that never gets old to me.

[MaineDem]

46. Glad to hear that

I don't know what we'd do without British series. They are (almost) all of much better quality than anything on US tv.

[KoKo]

48. "Dutchess of Duke Street" ...now available on Netflix (it's a grand cozy)

Wonderful period piece with beautiful Costumes, Set, Food, Love Story, interesting, quirky characters,WWI hardship...Gorgeous scenery and plot that spans 30 years. Perfect Summer Drift Away for those who like grand drama in the traditional BBC Miniseries style.

--------

The Duchess Of Duke Street is a BBC television drama series set in London between 1900 and 1935. It was created by John Hawkesworth, the former producer of the highly successful ITV period drama Upstairs, Downstairs. It starred Gemma Jones as Louisa Trotter, the eponymous "Duchess" who works her way up from servant to renowned cook to proprietrix of the upper-class Bentinck Hotel in Duke Street, Marylebone, in London.

The story is loosely based on the real-life career of Rosa Lewis (née Ovenden), the "Duchess of Jermyn Street", who ran the Cavendish Hotel in London. When the show first aired, there were many people who still remembered her, as she lived until 1952. According to census returns, she was born in Leyton, Essex, to a watchmaker. In the series, Louisa's family name is Leyton, and her father is a clock-maker.

The programme lasted for two series totalling 31 episodes, shown between 1976 and 1977. It was nominated for an Emmy Award for Outstanding Limited Series in 1980. The theme music was composed by Alexander Faris.<1>

Wikipedia

-----------
The Duchess of Duke Street Miniseries…

September 16, 2010

The Duchess of Duke Street is a BBC series from the mid 1970s. Masterpiece Theatre aired this British miniseries, which is set in Victorian and Edwardian England… the late 1800s and early 1900s. The series follows Louisa Trotter, a young woman from England's lower class society – during a time when the possibility of bettering your social standing was pretty much nil to nothing.

Louisa (played magnificently by Gemma Jones) works as a scullery maid (the lowest servants' position possible for women) but has three very strong traits: ambition, the inability to "hold her tongue," and intelligence. We watch Louisa go from a very young, almost abrasive girl to a self-assured woman of high society.

Gemma Jones' portrayal of Louisa Trotter, as she goes up the ladder of British society, is absolutely superb. This period BBC (and Masterpiece Theatre) production will stay with you way after you watch the two-season miniseries.

As you watch the episodes in The Duchess of Duke Street, try to keep in mind that the plot is based on the true life story of Rosa Lewis and The Duchess of Duke Street's Bentinck Hotel is based on London's Cavendish Hotel.

The Duchess of Duke Street miniseries takes us along as Louisa goes from being a scullery maid to a great chef, to eventually the owner of a London hotel. Quite a feat for those times!

This period piece production is (to me) delightful. I enjoyed the costumes, make up, acting, sets, and plot line. Fans of Upstairs, Downstairs will no doubt become fans of The duchess of Duke Street.

http://www.cozy-mystery.com/blog/the-duchess-of-duke-street-miniseries.html

[KoKo]

36. Kick

[MaineDem]

38. We just started watching the PD James' series again

"Death of an Expert Witness" and "Shroud for a Nightingale" are the first two. With Adam Dalgleish, the Scotland Yard detective. The first one was dreadfully slow but the second one has been good. I remember these from years ago. And PD James is till going strong with this character. I just read her most recent novel not too long ago.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

39. Last I heard, she was 90 years old

and still writing mysteries.

[Tikki]

40. George Gently****(I) is streaming now...

I've already watched a couple of episodes. :)

Tikki
your recommendations always appreciated...

[MaineDem]

41. We just finished watching the series

I really liked it.

I couldn't get over the fact that the Sergeant played Stan Shunpike in the Harry Potter movies. LOL Other than that, it was really good.

[MaineDem]

54. Not sure if it's streaming but the last series is now out on DVD

It's in my queue but has a "Very Long Wait."

[sarge43]

42. Foyle's War

Policing in a coastal town during WWII. Not only good mystery stories, interesting insights into life in that time and place. And Michael Kitchen, always a joy to watch.

[MaineDem]

43. Absolutely! A great series.

And I loved Sam.

[catchnrelease]

47. House of Cards trilogy

Don't know if I missed anyone listing this, but it's great. More political intrigue than mystery, but still keeps you guessing as to what's going to happen. Sir Ian Richardson plays the lead.

I have been thinking of signing up for Netflix and when I saw this in their list, I thought O YEAH, that does it!


Oops, I just noticed that HoC has it's own thread down the list. Well, it does deserve one, lol.

[MaineDem]

49. We just finished the "Maigret" series

Twelve episodes starring Michael Gambon as the French Chief Inspector. Really enjoyed this.

Too bad they only made two seasons.

[rosesaylavee]

50. LUTHER

The first season is streaming. The second season just finished and apparently will only be available on DVD. The third season is planned.

This is a very intense, well written, well acted tour de force. It chronicles the work of a special unit that deals with serial killers. I personally don't watch violent flicks, hate horror stuff and even avoid violent commercials. THIS show is addictive it's so good. One UK critic called it a quirky Silence of the Lambs.

One of the best shows we've watched in a long long time.

[jannyk]

52. Is it on Netflix? I paid to watch on Amazon last year. It Rocks. nt

[rosesaylavee]

53. First season is down-loadable on Netflix.

Wonderful show isn't it?