Murder Most English
by Ronald Wilson
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: Anton Rodgers, Christopher Benjamin, Christopher Timothy, John Bryans, John ComerDirector: Ronald Wilson
Brand: RODGERS,ANTON
Producer: Martin Lisemore
Writer: Colin Watson
Writer: Richard Harris
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language)
Format: Closed-captioned, Color, DVD, NTSC
Picture Format: 1.33:1
Running Time: 344 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2009-05-26
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: Acorn Media
Movie Reviews of Murder Most English
Movie Review: WORTHWHILE BBC MURDER INVESTIGATION SERIES FROM THE LATE 70's
Summary: 5 Stars
DI Purbright (Anton Rodgers of "Lillie" also recommended by this reviewer) works his way through crime in the fictional rural village of Flaxborough. His drone monologue way of sorting through the clues and elements of a mystery take place either through interrogations over a cup of tea or a pipe of tobacco. His intellectual approach to crime is never flustered.
His Det. Sgt. assistant, Sid Love (Christopher Timothy), is a bit more animated. His speech is more typically British and fast-paced making the Acorn Media addition of the SDH subtitles advantageous.
The stated seven episodes is a bit of a misnomer in that the first 3 take in two crime stories "Hopjoy Was Here" and "Lonelyheart 4122". One story turns into the other just as the first crime is solved. Episodes 4 & 5 are two parts of the story "The Flaxborough Crab" about neighborhood sex-maniac activity by a man who walks sideways. The final story, "Coffin, Scarcely Used", is another two-part, making up the final episodes 6 & 7. I'll say no more about the final story to refrain from spoiling your viewing. Each episode is 50 minutes. The stories to have a connection one with the other, through the town characters, more than just the two lead coppers.
The first story seemed a bit slow. After one hour I was considering this set less than a 5-star value. But then the stories picked up in interest and plot lifting the set to where I was glad to have purchased.
The DVD's themselves warn in the beginning that there is a less than 21st century level with the visual and audio aspects of the TV series. This is due to the quality of the original, dated from 1977. Because of age, although the resolution is improved, not all can be elevated to perfection. Very fair of Acorn Media to acknowledge that right on the box & discs.
These British mysteries are in 4:3 full screen, and full color.
Based on detective novels by Colin Watson.
Extra features limited to 4 actor filmographies and a bit on the writer.
Regardless, this is a fun 5-star revisiting of retro BBC TV. More outdoor rural English scenery was expected which proved a bit disappointing in the beginning. Much of the story takes place in obvious theatrical sets. But, hang on and keep watching, because like the stories, even the filmed scenery improves in quality and quantity through the final 5 episodes.
I'm glad I watched; I think you will be too.
And there is a fun final-scene finale for the entire Flaxborough Chronicle series that you WILL enjoy.
Summary of Murder Most English
A kindly detective puts right the wrongs in a sleepy English town
Clad in tweed and puffing on a pipe, Detective Inspector Purbright (Anton Rodgers, Lillie, May to December) pursues the evildoers of Flaxborough with a doggedness that belies his polite conversation and mild manner. And a good thing, too. For although the quiet country town appears all gentility, beneath the surface lies a darker world of deception, intrigue, treachery, and infidelity. These forces can upset the harmony of the most staid of small communities ? and ignite passions that erupt into violence.
Assisted by the ever cheerful Detective Sergeant Love (Christopher Timothy, All Creatures Great and Small) and the sometimes helpful Chief Constable Chubb (Moray Watson, The Darling Buds of May), Purbright serenely polices the clean but mean streets of Flaxborough. Armed with courtesy, respect, and a steely determination, he works to uncover the truth and restore order to this most English of English towns.
Based on the series of detective novels by Colin Watson.
A truly ingenious and sly murder mystery series, Murder Most English features the polite, thoughtful, and completely engaging Inspector Purbright, played with gracious wiliness by Anton Rodgers. This British series from the 1970s adapted four novels by Colin Watson, an unjustly neglected mystery writer whose excellent plotting, eccentric characters, and sneaky humor are in full display. Set in the mythical and typical English town of Flaxborough, Murder Most English features some atypical goings-on: A love triangle murder that turns out to involve a singularly indiscreet secret-service agent; a murderer who uses a matrimonial service to find his prey; a sexual predator who walks sideways, like a crab, and whose affliction may be related to a pharmaceutical cartel; and a clandestine pact of upstanding citizens that unravels through a series of murders. Each two-episode story is skillfully structured, always seeming to be solved only to reveal a completely different layer of mystery. Odd and intriguing characters (played by an outstanding plethora of clever British character actors) dot every turn, deft little psychological snapshots that make the plots not merely smart but surprisingly resonant--and wonderfully funny, such as when a cranky old woman unsettles a prim church matron with the rude names of country plants. Puffing his pipe, Purbright quietly but doggedly sorts out the tangled strands, aided by the impulsive Detective Sergeant Love (Christopher Timothy) and not particularly helped by the stodgy Chief Constable Chubb (Moray Watson). Appearing in two of the stories is the stealthy Lucilla Teatime (Brenda Bruce), a con woman whose bland, benign appearance belies a steely spirit and a foul mouth. Even viewers who aren?t usually drawn to murder mysteries may enjoy Murder Most English; Colin Watson?s imagination doesn?t follow the narrow clockwork efficiency of Agatha Christie and is all the more enjoyable for it. --Bret Fetzer
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