28 May 2022

The British are Coming! Great Crime Shows on Britbox and Acorn


Hot off the press!  This photo, taken yesterday at the Maple Leaf Mystery Conference - Honoured to have interview IAN RANKIN!  Why is my mouth so open?


Now back to our regularly scheduled post.

Bugger, but I wish I were British.  I wrote recently that the Brit crime writers have a huge advantage in that so many of their series are made into television shows.  And we all know, that's where the money is!

My dad was English, and I've long been a fan of Brit crime writers.  So it goes to reason that I would seek out the network TV versions of same.  Not long ago, PBS was the site to see most of these. (Masterpiece/Mystery)  Now, I catch most of mine through streaming on Britbox and Acorn.

This post has come about because I am about to interview Ian Rankin for the Maple Leaf Mystery Conference happening this week. (Blog on the career of interviewing A-listers coming soon.) For background, I tuned into Rebus on television, which got me thinking I should write this blog.

Here are three British crime shows I've recently revisited and strongly recommend:

1.  REBUS.  

Ian Rankin is commonly known as Great Britain's greatest current crime writer, and I would agree.  His Rebus character is iconic.  The REBUS series on Acorn is a masterpiece.  Nearly thirty books in now, Rebus is the quintessential hard-drinking (now on the wagon) outsider, solving crimes in spite of the people at the top.  Starting with season 2, John Stott played the lead role, and he IS Rebus, in my mind.  Very complex, with great attention to detail; you will also love the Edinborough setting. 

2. The Inspector Linley Mysteries

When I think of contemporary mystery novelists in Britain, two women come to mind first:  P.D. James, and Elizabeth George. George made it big in Canada.  I'm assuming she's known in the US as well.  Her Inspector Linley series is a treat.  Linley is blue-blood, son of a Viscount.  His DS Barbara Havers is right out of the East End, and in my mind, she is one of the great characters of crime fiction, played to perfection by Sharon Small.  The perfect Odd Couple of police procedurals that spans several seasons.

3.  The Gil Mayo Mysteries.

This sleeper of a series is my favourite.  It was short-lived - just one season and eight episodes, but has become a cult favourite.  

Many readers here know that I make my living writing comedy and comedic fiction.  So it won't be a surprise that I fell in love with this show.  Droll humour in the best of Brit manner defines it.  I think the sophisticated humour may have passed over the heads of some viewers, hence the short run.

But for me, it is gold.  DI Mayo corrects everyone's grammar and diction, thus becoming a hero of mine.  One example from my memory:

Mayo:  "Your sign is wrong.  There shouldn't be an apostrophe before the s in your sign, "Therapist's Available."

Therapist:  "That doesn't matter."

Mayo:  "It does if you don't want to be considered an idiot."

If you watch closely, you might be able to discern elements of Scooby-do in the casting.  Absolutely charming, is the slightly dopey Welsh DC, with the gorgeous accent.  And a very nice past romance between Mayo and his beautiful Detective Sergeant threatens to revive itself with fun complications.

SHOTGUN BONUS:  Brand spanking new is the terrific series, Signora Volpe, which takes place in Italy but in the English language, so no subtitles needed.  The female protagonist is ex-MI6, and the local detective inspector thinks as much of her as I do.  Great scenery, wonderful to have a kick-ass female playing lead again (for those of us who miss Miss Fisher and Prime Suspect.)

 Hope you find and enjoy some of these.  More another day! 

Melodie Campbell holds the title "Queen of Comedy" accorded by the Toronto Sun, and "the Canadian Literary Heir to Donald Westlake" from Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine.  Books available at all the usual suspects...



16 comments:

  1. I don't have as much chance to watch the newer shows, but I have enjoyed the earlier ones: we have seen the Mrs. Bradley Mysteries from a decade or so ago; not quite like the books but great fun! Also a fine and short-lived adaption of Margery Allingham's Campion (with Peter Davison.)

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    1. I enjoy Mrs Bradley too, Jeff - and Peter Davidson was terrific as Campion. Wow, you are taking me back. Thanks!. I'm going to reread those Campion books this year.

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    2. I'd never heard of Campion before I saw the show! A few days later I was delivering to this little town, walked into a used shop and found one of the collections!

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  2. Great and entertaining column as usual, Melodie! I've not seen any of these, and I'm especially looking forward to checking out the Gil Mayo recommendation. Many thanks!

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  3. Gil Mayo's delivery is a thing of beauty, John. Definitely a 'writers' mystery show. Well worth getting Britbox or Acorn for these.

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  4. Thanks for the list, Melodie!

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  5. I'm at a disadvantage without subscriptions. Can I come stay with you?

    Mayo sounds like suitable competition for Rumpole. I always enjoyed Horace's grumblings and sotto voce corrections.

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    1. Oh yes! Rumpole is actually on Acorn or Britbox right now. Loved that show, and that was a while ago...80s, I think?

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  6. Good choices, Melodie! I agree 100% about Barbara Havers--and Sharon Small's portrayal. Elizabeth George is actually an American! She grew up in San Francisco and went to the University of California at Riverside, with my next door neighbor. She's visited him a couple of times, but I didn't get a chance to meet her. One of my new favorite Acorn mysteries is Queens of Mystery--a very funny series that only has two seasons so far. I hope there will be more. I think you'd like it. It's got a quirky narrator and the graphics are amazing.

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  8. Sorry to say this but any list that leaves off the wonderful, longest-running British police drama Taggart created by Glenn Chandler is seriously flawed. Even after the loss of the brilliant Mark McManus in 1994, it continued to be one of the best police dramas ever made.

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    1. I remember Taggart! I'm not sure it's available right now, on Britbox or Acorn. But glad to be reminded of it.

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  9. Where did my comment go, Anne? Oops - pressed Enter too soon. Yes, I'd heard that George started over here - how I would have loved to meet her too. I've seen the first season of Queen's - didn't know the second was up there yet. Thanks for that, Anne! It's on my to be seen list now.

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  10. Taggart is on BritBox. I've now added it to my lengthy watchlist. One of my favorites shows, though, is Candice Renoir on Acorn, a police procedural with an irresistible female lead character and excellent supporting cast.

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    1. Oh how wonderful, getting this recommendation for a new show I don't know about, Wendy! Thank you. I will look it up.

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