What made me a lifelong Mystery fan
I remember a time growing up as a child watching crime dramas on BBC and ITV. Not all the dramas we watched would have been appropriate for a kid my age, but I remember Minder, The Sweeney, Prime Suspect—shows that stand out as the absolute peak of British crime drama.
These shows would have been watched as I lay comfortably on the floor of our warm living room of an evening after homework was done, after dinner was done, and before bed. This was peak prime time viewing.
We didn’t know it, but at the time it was the very best that would come along.
It’s hard in my memory to distinguish these shows from the memories that accompany them. Shows like Lovejoy are associated with coming home from Mass with tea and cake and the slight dread of a Monday morning at school to come.
These shows were a small place to relax just before the impending week ahead.
The 1980s: A Bigger World Outside the Window
Shows like Minder that covered most of the 80s would have been reasonably adult by American standards, with occasional nudity—very gauche for mid-80s Ireland. Thatcher’s London seemed very attractive at the time, and as time moved on you could see that there was a bigger world outside the window.
As the Cold War collapsed and we moved into the 90s, Thatcher was gone, Major was Prime Minister, and TV changed. The landscape of British crime drama shifted with it, introducing new voices and perspectives that would define the decade ahead.
The 1990s: The Peak of Modern British Drama
There was the coming of Prime Suspect, Inspector Morse. Most importantly, there was Between The Lines—a show I’m slightly obsessed with as the peak of modern British drama.
It resonates across so many factors with outstanding performances by the lead actors. It’s a show that you must watch.
It is available on DVD, but not so much on streaming platforms, unfortunately.
The Timeless Classics: Sherlock Holmes and Agatha Christie
No look at British crime drama would be complete without looking toward the classics: Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes and Agatha Christie’s many creations—Miss Marple, Hercule Poirot, Tommy and Tuppence. The output was quite staggering.
There’s a whole story to be told about the adventures of Sherlock Holmes produced by Granada in the mid-80s. Jeremy Brett became the ultimate Sherlock Holmes, and for me the ultimate Watson was David Burke, who only lasted one season but who has remained in the mind 40 years later.
Agatha Christie’s Miss Marple, although introduced to me through the comic creation of Margaret Rutherford, was taken, owned, and forever kept by Joan Hickson’s portrayal across many stories in mid-80s BBC Productions. Later productions with Julia McKenzie and Geraldine McEwan did a fine job of interpreting Christie’s work, but Joan Hickson owns it and will do forever.
In the same way, David Suchet took ownership of Poirot and not just created the character on screen, but took the character to new levels. Peter Ustinov had done a fine job in a different way in a series of TV movies, but David Suchet has created what will forever be the Poirot of television.
A Labour of Love
This project is a labour of love. It’s something that I hope will bring a little bit of joy and help people to discover shows, perhaps rediscover shows that are forgotten.
If it does provide a service to you, then I’m glad it’s been of use.