Crime fiction on TV and film

[Maine Colonial]

What have you been watching? What's coming?

I noticed that the second season of The Bletchley Circle is starting on PBS in April, and it looks like most stations are re-running the first season this week.

 

[janebbooks]

Spy and thriller series on television: Here's a new one. Join or go to Goodreads to see
the discussion and an interesting array of spy tools of the period. Meanwhile here's the skinny...


Spy Thrillers

TURN starts on Sunday, April 6 at 9pm....

Based on Alexander Rose’s book Washington’s Spies, AMC’s TURN tells the untold story of America’s first spy ring. A historical thriller set during the Revolutionary War, TURN centers on Abe Woodhull (Jamie Bell), a farmer living in British-occupied Long Island who bands together with his childhood friends to form The Culper Ring -- an unlikely team of secret agents who not only went on to help George Washington turn the tide of the war but also gave birth to modern spy craft.

 

[Reads to Sleep]

Spy and thriller series on television: Here's a new one. Join or go to Goodreads to see
the discussion and an interesting array of spy tools of the period. Meanwhile here's the skinny...


Spy Thrillers

TURN starts on Sunday, April 6 at 9pm....

Based on Alexander Rose’s book Washington’s Spies, AMC’s TURN tells the untold story of America’s first spy ring. A historical thriller set during the Revolutionary War, TURN centers on Abe Woodhull (Jamie Bell), a farmer living in British-occupied Long Island who bands together with his childhood friends to form The Culper Ring -- an unlikely team of secret agents who not only went on to help George Washington turn the tide of the war but also gave birth to modern spy craft.

I cannot think of espionage without accompanying thoughts about the highest possible technology of its time. What would a Revolutionary War days Q give Abe Woodhull? A folding pitchfork for his riding boot? Of course, this ignores the fact that Q would be on the Brits' side; since we're talking about an American now, instead of Q would he be called "Line"?

 

[pontalba]

Is anyone watching The Blacklist, starring the incomparable James Spader? We're keeping up with it on Amazon Prime.

 

[janebbooks]

I cannot think of espionage without accompanying thoughts about the highest possible technology of its time. What would a Revolutionary War days Q give Abe Woodhull? A folding pitchfork for his riding boot? Of course, this ignores the fact that Q would be on the Brits' side; since we're talking about an American now, instead of Q would he be called "Line"?

Yes, RTS....LINE would be appropriate.

One of the communicating codes is laundry on a clothesline!

 

[Ell]

Is anyone watching The Blacklist, starring the incomparable James Spader? We're keeping up with it on Amazon Prime.

Yes. We get it on our regular cable. Fascinating character. Fascinating actor.

Otherwise, I absolutely adore Sherlock and will have a difficult time waiting for the next season.

We've also begun watching some old series on Netflix: Finished Wallander and Endeavour (prequel about the young Inspector Morse). Started MI5 (on Season 3 out of 10).

 

[Polly Parrot]

Did you watch the Swedish Wallander or the UK version?

 

[quilter Kathy]

Yes. We get it on our regular cable. Fascinating character. Fascinating actor.

Otherwise, I absolutely adore Sherlock and will have a difficult time waiting for the next season.

We've also begun watching some old series on Netflix: Finished Wallander and Endeavour (prequel about the young Inspector Morris). Started MI5 (on Season 3 out of 10).

Ell, I watched MI-5 and became downright fanatical! I couldn't get enough and hated when the 88th episode finished. Hope you're enjoying it half as much as I did!
Kathy

 

[pontalba]

Yes. We get it on our regular cable. Fascinating character. Fascinating actor.

Otherwise, I absolutely adore Sherlock and will have a difficult time waiting for the next season.

We've also begun watching some old series on Netflix: Finished Wallander and Endeavour (prequel about the young Inspector Morris). Started MI5 (on Season 3 out of 10).

Did you watch the Swedish Wallander or the UK version?

We've watched the pilot and first series of Endeavor, loved it. The kid is great, has all of Morse's ticks down pat. Also loved Wallander, both of them. Swedish and Brit version. Both have aspects to recommend them, I think. But I really prefer Henriksson's Wallander. It's how I pictured him from the books.

We've also watched the Inspector Lewis series. I know some think he is a let down after Morse, but I always liked Lewis, and was glad to see more of his style. The actor that played his Sergeant , Laurence Fox was brilliant.

Ell, you've made me want to check out MI5 too.

 

[Maine Colonial]

It took me awhile to warm up to Inspector Lewis, but I became very attached to it after awhile. And I so agree about Laurence Fox. He is my dream casting as Lord Peter Wimsey in my fantasy of a new dramatization of the Wimsey/Vane books.

Kathy and Libby rave about MI-5, and I'm sure I would love it, but I watched that episode early in the first season in which something extremely gruesome happens to a woman who is new to field work for MI-5 and I was so horrified I still can't bring myself to try it again.

 

[Ell]

Did you watch the Swedish Wallander or the UK version?

Polly P, I watched the UK version with Kenneth Branagh. I haven't been able to find the Swedish version where I am.

Kathy, we've been enjoying MI5 immensely. It's quite addictive.

And Maine C, I know the episode you mean. It was quite horrific, but I don't think anything else that bad has occurred since (at least not the episodes I've seen).

 

[pontalba]

It took me awhile to warm up to Inspector Lewis, but I became very attached to it after awhile. And I so agree about Laurence Fox. He is my dream casting as Lord Peter Wimsey in my fantasy of a new dramatization of the Wimsey/Vane books.

Kathy and Libby rave about MI-5, and I'm sure I would love it, but I watched that episode early in the first season in which something extremely gruesome happens to a woman who is new to field work for MI-5 and I was so horrified I still can't bring myself to try it again.

I can see him as Wimsey, except more well fed? I liked Ian Carmichael as Wimsey though.

I do know what you mean about one thing putting you off a series.....you mentioned Bletchley Circle series at the top of the thread. We watched the first one or two episodes, and it just upset me so much. Can't even put my finger on why, but I can't watch more. It's so well produced and acted, too.

 

[Maine Colonial]

Ell, you're the second person to say that that episode isn't repeated in kind, so I guess I should look up which episode it was and then start up after that one. (OK, just did that. Wow, it was only episode 1.2.) Honestly, I had a nightmare last night about that episode and it's at least a couple of years since I saw it. Just being reminded of it did me in. I think partly because before I started MI-5, I had watched all of a series called Murder in Suburbia, and it featured that actress, Lisa Faulkner.

Speaking of which, did anybody see Murder in Suburbia? It's no work of great art, but it's a decent police procedural about a pair of women detectives in a suburban English town, played by Faulkner and Caroline Catz (from Doc Martin). Their DCI is played by Jeremy Sheffield, who is extremely easy on the eyes.

pontalba, in the school of Edward Petherbridge vs. Ian Carmichael, I have a slight preference for Petherbridge. (Don't throw things!) But I think Laurence Fox has that harmless-looking exterior but underlying intensity that would be perfect for Wimsey. Now we just need to find the right Harriet Vane . . .

I think I know what you're talking about with The Bletchley Circle. I can see it. One thing I found out about that series after the fact is that Rachael Stirling, the one who plays the tall, brash Millie, is Diana Rigg's daughter. Those British acting families are all over the place.

 

[readingomnivore]

Ell, you're the second person to say that that episode isn't repeated in kind, so I guess I should look up which episode it was and then start up after that one. (OK, just did that. Wow, it was only episode 1.2.) Honestly, I had a nightmare last night about that episode and it's at least a couple of years since I saw it. Just being reminded of it did me in. I think partly because before I started MI-5, I had watched all of a series called Murder in Suburbia, and it featured that actress, Lisa Faulkner.

Speaking of which, did anybody see Murder in Suburbia? It's no work of great art, but it's a decent police procedural about a pair of women detectives in a suburban English town, played by Faulkner and Caroline Catz (from Doc Martin). Their DCI is played by Jeremy Sheffield, who is extremely easy on the eyes.

pontalba, in the school of Edward Petherbridge vs. Ian Carmichael, I have a slight preference for Petherbridge. (Don't throw things!) But I think Laurence Fox has that harmless-looking exterior but underlying intensity that would be perfect for Wimsey. Now we just need to find the right Harriet Vane . . .

I think I know what you're talking about with The Bletchley Circle. I can see it. One thing I found out about that series after the fact is that Rachael Stirling, the one who plays the tall, brash Millie, is Diana Rigg's daughter. Those British acting families are all over the place.

I agree with Maine about Edward Petherbridge as Lord Peter Wimsey over Ian Carmichael. Petherbridge is much more IMO the physical type of the character than Carmichael, who was always too jolly and well-fed. I enjoyed Carmichael immensely in the BBC production several years ago of Mrs. Elizabeth Gaskell's WIVES AND DAUGHTERS; he played Lord Cumnor.

Physically Laurence Fox is too tall to play Lord Peter, unless Harriet Vane is also extremely tall, because they're described in GAUDY NIGHT as being approximately the same height (their academic gowns get mixed up, and it doesn't make a difference--his fits her.) Of course, few other than obsessives like me may be bothered by that. I'm not sure who'd be good to play Harriet Vane. She's not conventionally beautiful, she has grit and determination, as well as a talent for what she and Lord Peter refer to as "talking piffle." Whoever plays her has to be able to get all that right.

Linda S.

 

[pontalba]

Interesting. I had no knowledge of Edward Petherbridge, never have seen him. I saw Carmichael many years ago as Wimsey. Petherbridge really reminds me a great deal, looks wise, of Roy Scheider.

In that case, Stirling has excellent genes! Love Mrs. Peel.

 

[readingomnivore]

Interesting. I had no knowledge of Edward Petherbridge, never have seen him. I saw Carmichael many years ago as Wimsey. Petherbridge really reminds me a great deal, looks wise, of Roy Scheider.

In that case, Stirling has excellent genes! Love Mrs. Peel.

Petherbridge was in the last three adaptations done, all with Harriet Walter as Harriet Vane. The novels were STRONG POISON (where Harriet is on trial for poisoning her lover Philip Boyes and Wimsey gets her off), HAVE HIS CARCASE (in which Harriet's on a walking tour and discovers the body of a man whose throat has been cut, an impossible crime, that she and Wimsey solve), and GAUDY NIGHT (no murder, but Harriet's college calls her in to solve poison pen letters and vandalisms, and she involves Wimsey). So far as I know, no one has done adaptation of BUSMAN'S HONEYMOON.

 

[Maine Colonial]

I have a copy of the original stage play script of Busman's Honeymoon, written by Sayers and Muriel St. Clare-Byrne. My book club talked about putting together a play-reading club, and that gave me a perfect excuse to buy it. We still haven't started that play-reading club, though.

Has anybody ever seen the old Robert Montgomery/Constance Cummings movie, which I think was called Haunted Honeymoon, rather than Busman's Honeymoon? I saw it a long time ago and it was terrible.

 

[readingomnivore]

I think BUSMAN'S HONEYMOON should translate to film (if well done) since it was originally written as a play. It's more visual than most. I envy your script.

 

[libbyfh]

Loved LUTHER and I'm very sad it's over. Idris Elba gave Luther just the soulful, sad, borderline personality a good detective needs. I'm also into the American version of HOUSE OF CARDS (binge watched it in two days)...

 

[quilter Kathy]

I have discovered CROSSING LINES on Netflix. Anyone else seen this series? It is a police unit made up of officers from several different countries. "In pursuit of justice, the International Criminal Court's special crime unit hunts down lawbreakers whose offenses cross borders in Europe." It stars William Fichtner and Donald Sutherland and is dated 2013. VERY good!
Kathy