I hadn't heard of the BBC tv series Murder Most English even though I had heard of Colin Watson who's first four novels were the source of the show. I've read a good number of British mysteries but Watson never attracted my interest, even when I worked part time in a mystery bookstore. I picked up a lot of books there. I still have books I haven't gotten around to reading and it's been more than a decade since I worked there. When I'd take too much food and couldn't finish it my mother used to say my eyes were bigger than my stomach. My plate is always overflowing with books and still I can barely scratch the surface of the books that exist. TV is so much easier to consume. The series was made in 1977 and the 7 episodes adapted four novels. You can watch all four stories in an evening or two.
Anton Rodgers plays Detective Inspector Purbright, Christopher Timothy plays Detective Sergeant Love and John Comer plays Sergeant Malley. Rodgers started in show biz in 1948 and worked until he died in 2007. He was in some of my favorite British shows, The Saint, The Prisoner, Man In A Suitcase and Midsomer Murders. He was in some good movies too. Comer played the owner of the Cafe, where the trio of gents passed the time, in the Last Of The Summer Wine series. Timothy was the main character in All Creature Great And Small. I have to admit I haven't watched that series. I tried back in the 1980's and didn't care much for the one or two I saw then. Maybe I'd like it more now. Maybe in the future.
Purbright has an odd mystery to look into each week. He ambles about and pokes around until the mystery is solved. He's not flashy or bold, he just digs in and keeps on searching for some clue to the puzzle. He gets some help from the other two cops. There's a bit of comedy but it's rather dry. The production values are kind of low but it is the BBC and it is the 1970's. The stories have a nice sordid aspect and a bit of sex but mostly it's money that drives the people to do what they did. The characters are entertaining and I got a laugh or two out of watching them. It scores a 7.1 on the IMDb but I didn't think it was that great. I'd give it a 6. The DVD set is 30 bucks on Amazon so you know I'm not going to be buying them. I'd watch them again but it will have to be a rental.
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