I Love a Mystery - Mystery TV Shows (1 Viewer)

[Rustifer]

Series 2 of Hamish Macbeth brings with it another couple of rather dark episodes, one of which resolves the love interest thing. And the other is, well, somewhat disturbing with its conclusion and involves the goings on at a funeral home and whether or not a somewhat aimless local lad will join the firm.

And it's still a quite interesting and "fun" series.

My wife has read several mystery novels from the pen of M.C. Beaton, who provided the groundwork for this series, which I've read is nothing like the books, often combining several books into a single episode. In reading about the TV series and books I came across this:



I don't recall if my wife has any of the Hamish Macbeth books or not (I'm pretty sure she has a few Agatha Raisin books). I may have to ask... You'd think I'd know as I purchased most of her books, keeping up with the various series and just which she already had or had read. They were quite safe presents as she rarely purchased one herself.

Hey Howie
I got into M.C. Beaton because my wife had all her books. This was before Kindle began to decimate our bookshelves. I found the derivative series "based" on her characters rarely matched. Still, I enjoyed watching the shows simply for their cozy mystery ambience.
Let's face it, even Ian Fleming's James Bond didn't actually track with the movie versions, but who cared?

 

[BobO'Link]

Hey Howie
I got into M.C. Beaton because my wife had all her books. This was before Kindle began to decimate our bookshelves. I found the derivative series "based" on her characters rarely matched. Still, I enjoyed watching the shows simply for their cozy mystery ambience.
Let's face it, even Ian Fleming's James Bond didn't actually track with the movie versions, but who cared?

I've never read any of the books. My wife reads mystery novels almost exclusively and I'm the SF/Fantasy reader. I've read a few paragraphs/pages in several of her books but never all of one. And she owns all of Agatha Christy's Marple and Poirot books, Sue Grafton's "Alphabet" series, Erle Stanley Gardner's "Perry Mason" series, most of Dianne Mott Davidson's "Goldy Bear Culinary" series, some Dorothy L. Sayers, Patricial Cornwell's "Scarpetta" series, John Grisham, and a smattering of others. There are some genuine classics in her collection. I keep saying I'm going to read a few but I have a back catalog of 50+ SF/Fantasy books in addition to many literary classics I want to re-read (several each from Victor Hugo, Alexandre Dumas, and Charles Dickens). Too much to read (not to mention watch) and not enough time...

 

[Rustifer]

I've never read any of the books. My wife reads mystery novels almost exclusively and I'm the SF/Fantasy reader. I've read a few paragraphs/pages in several of her books but never all of one. And she owns all of Agatha Christy's Marple and Poirot books, Sue Grafton's "Alphabet" series, Erle Stanley Gardner's "Perry Mason" series, most of Dianne Mott Davidson's "Goldy Bear Culinary" series, some Dorothy L. Sayers, Patricial Cornwell's "Scarpetta" series, John Grisham, and a smattering of others. There are some genuine classics in her collection. I keep saying I'm going to read a few but I have a back catalog of 50+ SF/Fantasy books in addition to many literary classics I want to re-read (several each from Victor Hugo, Alexandre Dumas, and Charles Dickens). Too much to read (not to mention watch) and not enough time...

Please tell me Edgar Rice Burroughs is on your SF/Fantasy list.

 

[BobO'Link]

Please tell me Edgar Rice Burroughs is on your SF/Fantasy list.

Yes, he is. In fact I'm "currently" re-reading the Barsoom series. IIRC, book 3 is next up. I read the series in college and a couple of years ago picked up replacement hard cover copies for those paperbacks I got in college.

 

[Rustifer]

Yes, he is. In fact I'm "currently" re-reading the Barsoom series. IIRC, book 3 is next up. I read the series in college and a couple of years ago picked up replacement hard cover copies for those paperbacks I got in college.

Good man! Should we ever bump into each other in a bar, drinks are on me!

 

[Jeff Flugel]

TV Sherlock Holmes Quiz:

1)Which TV Sherlock's last credited IMDB role was in an episode of "Sherlock"?

2)Which TV Sherlock has a very famous actor father?

3)Which TV Sherlock's relative was a regular on "UFO"?

4)Which TV Sherlock played 'D'Artagnan' in a TV Mini-series?

5)Which TV Sherlock played 'Holmes' in the most TV episodes?

6)Which TV Sherlock had Patrick Macnee as his "Watson'?

7)Which TV Sherlock had Bernard Fox as his 'Watson'?

8)Of the last two which Sherlock actor made the most westerns? That's kind of a trick question. In theatrical movies it's one and counting TV it's the other.

Yes, tough quiz, Bob! I can answer a few of these, I think (promise no cheating!)

1. I believe the answer to this one is Douglas Wilmer.
2. Hmm...guessing here: Ian Richardson.
3. Wanda Ventham, who is Benedict Cumberbatch's mum.
4. Jeremy Brett
5. Ronald Howard
6. Roger Moore (The TV movie Sherlock Holmes in New York)
7. I think the answer here is Stewart Granger.
8. Christopher Lee, who had a part in the western Hannie Calder, and played Holmes in a TV movie (Sherlock Holmes and the Deadly Necklace, I believe). Fun fact: Christopher Lee also played Sherlock's brother Mycroft in Billy Wilder's The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes (which featured Robert Stephens as Holmes).

Those are my best guesses, anyway!

 

[Bob Gu]

Thanks for playing Jeff!

Mostly all your answers are correct.

For #2, I was looking for Ronald Howard and his dad, Leslie Howard.
For #5, Jonny Lee Miller played Holmes in 154 episodes of "Elementary".
For #8, I was referring to Roger Moore and Stewart Granger. Granger made more theatrical westerns than Roger Moore. Moore with "Maverick" and "The Alaskans" made more TV western episodes than Granger.

 

[Jeff Flugel]

Thanks for playing Jeff!

Mostly all your answers are correct.

For #2, I was looking for Ronald Howard and his dad, Leslie Howard.
For #5, Jonny Lee Miller played Holmes in 154 episodes of "Elementary".
For #8, I was referring to Roger Moore and Stewart Granger. Granger made more theatrical westerns than Roger Moore. Moore with "Maverick" and "The Alaskans" made more TV western episodes than Granger.

D'oh! Serves me right for not watching Elementary! I also should have read your clue for #8 more carefully (that's a rookie mistake right there.)

Thanks for the fun brain puzzler, Bob!

 

[Mysto]

Good man! Should we ever bump into each other in a bar, drinks are on me!

Russ - I read those books all the time and my wife does too....

and I live on Mars...

no really...

 

[Rustifer]

Russ - I read those books all the time and my wife does too....

and I live on Mars...

no really...

I've suspected you as extra terrestrial for a long time, Marv.

 

[Mysto]

I've suspected you as extra terrestrial for a long time, Marv.

So do we get the free drinks too??????

 

[Rustifer]

So do we get the free drinks too??????

Sure. I'll meet you at Illusions and we can make some martinis disappear.

(FYI--there is a new Illusions in town, but more of a sports bar than venue for you as a magician can remember--not nearly as interesting as the original.)

 

[Mysto]

Sure. I'll meet you at Illusions and we can make some martinis disappear.

(FYI--there is a new Illusions in town, but more of a sports bar than venue for you as a magician remember--not nearly as interesting as the original.)

I do remember. Three of the guys that worked there will never come back. Chris Kenner and Homer Liwag are #1 and #2 creative consultants and assistants for David Copperfield and are very well off. A third, Mike Close is the creative consultant and judge for Penn & Tellers Fool Us TV show.

 

[Mysto]

Phillip Marlowe - 1959

In 1959 hardboiled detective Phillip Marlowe came to the small screen with Philip Carey in the lead.

The hardboiled genre started back in the 1920’s and contained the likes of Sam Spade and later Mike Hammer.

Phillip Marlowe was tough on the outside but inside enjoyed poetry and chess. This half hour series failed to find an audience in the 50’s and only ran for 26 episodes but Marlowe would return again in the 1980’s on HBO with Powers Boothe as the star.

 

[Dave Lawrence]

I’d love to see a release of Philip Marlowe, one of the few shows produced by the Goodson/Todman team that wasn’t a game show. Starring Phil Carey with William Schallert, what little I’ve seen of it via YouTube has been fun.

 

[Matt Hough]

Yeah, I've never seen ANY of the episodes of this series, and I'd love to give it a chance.

 

[Mysto]

Detective Quiz #3 - The forgotten series
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9

10

 

[Jeff Flugel]

Couple of tough ones in there, Marv. My answers:

1. Hawk
2. Longstreet
3. Hawkins
4. The Snoop Sisters
5. ?? Something with Tony Musante...the name's escaping me at the moment...
6. Griff
7. Harry-O
8. Bronk
9. ?? Jack Warden, too young for Crazy Like a Fox
10. Delvecchio

 

[Mysto]

Couple of tough ones in there, Marv. My answers:

1. Hawk
2. Longstreet
3. Hawkins
4. The Snoop Sisters
5. ?? Something with Tony Musante...the name's escaping me at the moment...
6. Griff
7. Harry-O
8. Bronk
9. ?? Jack Warden, too young for Crazy Like a Fox
10. Delvecchio

Wow - I'm impressed Jeff.
1-Dan August (Burt Reynolds)
2-Longstreet (James Franciscus)
3-Hawkins (Jimmy Stewart)
4-Snoop Sisters – Ernesta Snoop (Helen Hayes) Gwendolyn Snoop (Mildred Natwick)
5-Toma (Tony Musante)
6-Griff – (Lorne Green) Mike Murdoch (Ben Murphy)
7-Harry O - (David Janssen)
8-Bronk – Lt. Alex Bronkov (Jack Palance)
9-Jigsaw John – John P. St. John (Jack Warden)
10-Delvecchio (Judd Hirsch)

 

[Jeff Flugel]

1-Dan August (Burt Reynolds)

5-Toma (Tony Musante)

9-Jigsaw John – John P. St. John (Jack Warden)

Hmm. for some reason, that photo and Burt's look just didn't say Dan August to me. Whiffed that one.

Should have known Toma, but am not sure that I've even heard of Jigsaw John!

Fun quiz, Marv!