It's Criminal

From series 1-13, Detective Chief Inspector Tom Barnaby had three sidekicks. 1. Detective Sergeant Gavin Troy The original (and, in my opinion, the best) sidekick who sticks around for 6 series until he's promoted to DCI (and Daniel Casey who played him, wanted to move onto pastures new).  His character was softened from the original novels though some of the isms and jumping to conclusions without much to go on is still there. If they hadn't given him a more three dimensional character, it wouldn't have worked as well.  He's brighter than the Troy of the books but is still green in the first few episodes. Thankfully, he finds his stride and it is great watching him grow. He was the first sidekick to make a brief reappearance (more on who the other one is when I write about John Barnaby's sidekicks). 2. Detective Sergeant Daniel (Dan) Scott Not a popular one among the fans, Scott is very different to Troy. He's cocky, set in his ways (initially) and sees being p

  Spoiler warning – there will be some spoilers here, so read on with caution if you have not seen all the episodes. My praise rings out for Ring Out Your Dead. There is an excellent mix of comedy, drama and mystery. However, once you discover why the dastardly deeds, it stretches things a bit. Mind you, people have been killed for less.  Graham Crowden was delightful playing another eccentric old duffer (he played Tom in Waiting for God), though it turned out not as barmy as it first seemed. Carmen Du Sautoy vamps it up enough as Rosalind to make the character sexually intimidating but not terrifying. Daniel Casey excels at showing Troy's fear and attraction to her. He's like a mouse caught in a delicious trap. The comedic scenes between Rosalind and Troy are as sweet as they are funny.  Our killer, Maise Gooch, is one of the most benign-looking characters they've ever had (even more so than Richard Briers in Death's Shadow) and confirms that it is the quiet one you sh

Fer-de-Lance is the first in the series of Nero Wolfe books, written by Rex Stout between 1934 and 1975.  When I first found out about Nero Wolfe, the books were much harder to get in the UK. As a result, I ended up reading them out of order. I've decided to review them in chronological order.  This book is a strong opener for getting a feel for genius private detective Nero Wolfe and his legman Archie Goodwin. The reader is also introduced to other main, recurring characters, such as Fred Durkin, Fritz Brenner and Saul Panzer.  A murder goes unrecognised due to the victim dropping dead on a golf course with no obvious way that he could have been anything other than natural causes. However, the disappearance of the brother of a friend of Fred Durkin's wife soon has Wolfe and Archie on the case.  Fer-de-Lance is one of my favourite stories. It sets the scene and pace for the others that follow. The story is well-paced without skimping on detail. Like Watson for Sherlock Holmes,

  Spoiler warning – there will be some spoilers here, so read on with caution if you have not seen all the episodes. Destroying Angel is my choice from this series. The plot is standard in this one, but what makes this one a favourite is the strength of the characters and the talent of the actors who bring them to life.  We have the excellent Samantha Bond playing Suzanna Chambers, who doesn't even bother to hide how insignificant she'd considered her husband. Samantha excels in playing morally bankrupt and emotionally cold characters, but I have seen her handle warmer and more sensitive characters just as well.  Samantha is one of several recurring actors and, to date, has appeared in three Midsomer Murders episodes. Jonathan Coy (Kenneth Gooders) and Abigail McKern (Julia Gooders) are a rather macabre comedy duo who should not be married. Justice is dealt to all three of them, along with Tristan (played by Tom Ward), by a killer hell-bent on avenging the death of two people t

  When I started compiling the list for this, I could not stop at 10.  This is an entry that will probably have a few episodes of its own.  Here's the first 10 performers who should have played Columbo villains. 1. Jeremy Irons. He's the right mix of charming and chilling. He can play hard without being nasty. He'd turn on the charm with Columbo (as Louis Jordan did in Murder Under Glass).   2. Billie Whitelaw. Her steely gaze would have turned Medusa into stone. However, she could also play more vulnerable characters. She would have had Columbo second guessing himself.  3. Alexander Siddig. An actor capable of presenting a benign exterior with a very sinister edge. He would have brought a calmer, colder villain.  4. Anton Diffring. When I watch the episodes with Jack Cassidy in them, Anton is the actor that he reminds me of. They both have an icy charm that hides the fire of evil that's brewing beneath it.  5. Angela Pleasence. She's every bit as talented as her fa

S poiler warning -  there will be some spoilers here, so read on with caution if you have not seen all the episodes. There are also two contenders: Judgement Day and Beyond the Grave. I like Beyond the Grave a lot as it has a slightly different quirky feel, and Troy gets a sidekick (albeit temporarily in the form of Nico, Cully's boyfriend). However, when it comes to an episode I return to repeatedly, it must be Judgement Day.  For those of you who are also Agatha Christie fans, there is a slight nod to one of her most famous stories in this episode.  The underbelly of this perfect village is a little more on show thanks to womaniser and total bad 'un Peter Drinkwater. This was an early role for Orlando Bloom but one he fulfilled very well for the short time he was on the screen.  John Nettles also steals a scene with one of the episode's best lines upon discovering Peter's body. He is not happy that his chance to nick the little scrote for a series of burglaries becaus