I watched the first series of Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries and really enjoyed them. It's an Australian TV series that first aired February 24 2012. Two series have aired and a third is running right now. The series is based on Kerry Greenwood's Phryne Fisher novels which aren't something I've read. I see there have been 20 of them since 1989. Phryne Fisher is played by Essie Davis and she's quite a character. It's 1928 and Miss Fisher is a highly modern woman who decides to become a detective in Melbourne. She doesn't need the money, she just want to have some adventure. She drives like a madman, flies planes and carries a gold plated revolver. She has a series of lovers and isn't much interested in settling down with a man. The last war is still on everyone's minds and it's still affecting the characters one way or another. Miss Fisher joined French women's ambulance unit during the war.
She's got a title and some cash so she when she returns to Melbourne gets a nice big house, a butler named Mr Butler, a couple of handymen named Bert and Cec, a companion named Dot and a teenager named Jane. They all pitch in and help with the detecting. There's a police Detective Inspector named Jack who isn't that keen on Miss Fisher's investigating but he comes to appreciate her help, at least occasionally. His constable Hugh is a young fellow who takes a fancy to Miss Fisher's companion Dot. The wonderful Miriam Margolyes appears occasionally as Miss Fisher's Aunt Prudence. She's great in everything I see her in.
The production recreates the 1928 Melbourne and it looks great. They use CGI to fill in the past and augment it with plenty of wonderful costumes and cars and props. The murders are as varied as the stories though most of the victims are shot or stabbed. Miss Fisher gets around so she winds up in all sort of interesting or posh places. There's a story set in a Turkish Bath that involves a cocaine smuggling ring and abortion, another has a death in a dance hall and one was set in a circus. It's got a nice level of humor with the drama though it gets a bit dark near the end when Jane is kidnapped by a crazy man. I enjoyed all 13 episodes and have the 2nd series on queue at the library. I bet I'll enjoy those too.
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