The BBC “not doing another series of Partners In Crime”

(C) Endor Productions 2015 – Photographer: Laurence Cendrowicz

There was mud excitement when it was announced that Agatha Christie’s Partners In Crime would be getting the BBC treatment, the first fruits from the corporation’s deal with the Christie estate. David Walliams and Jessica Raine added to this excitement when they signed on to star as the husband-and-wife crime-busting team. We kept a close eye on the series, but even though it looked fantastic and Walliams and Raine certainly looked the part, Our Debs found it to be pretty thin and, actually, not well cast. Now we receive news that the show will not be coming back for a second series.

Advertisement

Trailer: Lewis, ITV

It’s going to be a busy October on ITV. With Midwinter Of The Spirit continuing and Unforgotten about to start, they’re joined in the schedule by doughty stalwart and Morse spin-off Lewis, which is back for a ninth series. In this preview clip, we’ll see Lewis, Hathaway and Maddox faced with a seemingly impossible task of identifying the remains of a body discovered in a well, Lewis has also got to contend with a new boss, Chief Superintendent Moody. The new chief is dubious as to Lewis’ motivation for coming out of retirement. Feeling not only unwanted but also under the microscope Lewis needs to solve the case in the hope of proving his worth. 

Trailer: Unforgotten, ITV

Stand by all you Nicola Walker fans, because in the next month or so this fine actress will be all over our screens, both on the BBC (River) and on ITV, taking the leading role in the six-part procedural Unforgotten. She stars alongside Sanjeev Bhaskar as detectives investigating a ‘cold’ murder case of 39 years ago. When the bones of a young man are found beneath the footings of a demolished house, an investigation begins that will unravel the lives of four people who have been waiting for this moment for nearly forty years, as they discover that the past can’t, and won’t, stay buried forever. Have a look at the trailer after the jump.

Review: Hinterland/Y Gwyll (S2 E3/8), Sunday 27th September, S4C

Apologies this is a day late – it’s been quite a weekend, a weekend spent mostly at the Radio Times Festival. So this is the first time I’ve had a chance to sit down and savour the third episode of this second series of Hinterland/Y Gwyll. And savour is the right word because it’s slow-moving, intense stuff, with thoughtful, heartbreaking human stories set in foreboding, rugged rural communities. And this week – the start of a new two-part story (series two comprises four two-part stories) – was no different. 

The Bridge III: Record viewing figures; what they’re saying; UK transmission date rumours

Last night something amazing happened throughout Scandinavia and other parts of Europe – the premiere of series three of The Bridge (or Bron, Broen and Silta as I’ve been seeing on Twitter) was broadcast last night (Sunday 27th September). It’s exciting for all Bridge fans in the UK (of which there are many), but sadly we won’t be seeing it for another couple of months. At the end of this post you’ll find news of the UK’s transmission date, but in the meantime I’ve collated some reviews from Swedish newspapers. Some are glowing, some aren’t, but one thing is clear – in Martin’s absence (*cries*) this third run will be all about Saga Norén.

Warning: there are spoilers ahead (mild turning into medium on the spoiler scale), and the reviews have been translated via Google Translate

The 10 Best Crime Dramas This Week (Monday 28th September – Sunday 4th October)

(C) BBC – Photographer: Sarah Dunn

It’s another hugely busy week in the crime drama genre, with lots of stuff starting AND a special feature-length film that allows us to bid farewell to one of the biggest franchises in crime drama history. Yes, it’s time to say goodbye to CSI and its ridiculous set pieces, its ridiculous special effects and always-solid, entertaining stories. Fare thee well CSI!

Radio Times Festival dispatches: Sherlock

You need reminding sometimes that Sherlock is a truly global phenomenon. We’ve seen the adulation the show and its cast and showrunners receive at things like the San Diego Comic-Con, but to see it first hand is quite something. The final panel session at the excellent first Radio Time Festival saw three member of the cast (Una Stubbs, Amanda Abbington and Louise Brealey), writers Mark Gatiss and Steven Moffat and producer Sue Vertue gather to talk about the women of Sherlock, an interesting and new approach to the Sherlock runaway train. Along with the panel was a sold-out auditorium – and every joke and comment from the panel were met alternately with excited laughter and cheers. 

Radio Times Festival Dispatches: Mark Billingham

As any discerning crime fiction fan will know, the author Mark Billingham is a constant and excellent presence on the festival circuit. His background in stand-up has served him well – he’s a great compère and interviewer – but this time he was the interviewee.

Radio Times Festival Dispatches: Grantchester

Today was the second day (well, technically the third, but the second that we’ve attended) and aside from sitting in on two sessions featuring the excellent Peter Bowker (for the upcoming BBC three-parter, Capital (based on John Lanchester novel) and the marvellous, ahem, Marvellous) and watching a highlights film made up from snippets of footage from ITV programmes in 1964, we took in a session featuring one of the hits of last year, Grantchester.

Radio Times Festival Dispatches: Peaky Blinders

We haven’t done that much on Peaky Blinders – that fire and brimstone depiction of Birmingham gang life in the 1920s – because I can never be sure that the show is crime enough or not. Yes, it stars Cillian Murphy as the gang leader Tommy Shelby trying to bloodily fight his way out of the furnace of illegal activity and bloody street war, but I’ve never been sure. However, if you read our piece last Christmas – where we asked leading crime authors what their favourite crime dramas of the year were (have a read here) – Peaky Blinders was a very popular choice. So what do I know? Anyway, the last panel session of the day at the Radio Times Festival was all to do with this cult hit and it was a packed auditorium.