Period crime drama series. In the 1920’s upper class Mrs Adela Bradley and her chauffeur George investigate murder.
PRODUCTION DETAILS
UK / BBC1-WGBH Boston / 1x90m-e 4x60m-e / 1998 and 2000
Music: Matthew Scott / Script Editors: Julie Gardner, Victoria Lea / Design: Anthony Ainsworth / Camera: John McGlashan / Costume: Michael Taylor / Producer: Deborah Jones / Executive Producers: Ruth Caleb, Mal Young, Rebecca Eaton
regular cast
DIANA RIGG as Mrs Adela Bradley / NEIL DUDGEON as George Moody / PETER DAVISON as Inspector Christmas
THE EPISODES
PILOT 1x90m-e / 1998
1. SPEEDY DEATH
Whilst attending an engagement party for her god daughter Eleanor at Chayning Court Mrs Bradley finds herself investigating the murder of Eleanor’s intended – Everard Mountjoy.
guest cast
JOHN ALDERTON as Alastair Bing / EMMA FIELDING as Eleanor Bing / TOM BUTCHER as Bertie Philipson / LYNDA BARON as Mrs MacNamara / WILLIAM OXBARROW as Everard Mountjoy / TRISTAN GEMMILL as Garde / TYLER BUTTERWORTH as Ferdinand Bradley / EMMA DAVIES as Hermoine Bradley / MICHAEL TROUGHTON as Inspector Starkey / ELEANOR TREMAIN as Dorothy Manners
WRITER: Simon Booker
DIRECTOR: Audrey Cooke
SEASON ONE
4 episodes x 60 minutes / Sundays 8.00pm / 16 January – 6 February
(2) 1. DEATH AT THE OPERA (Sunday 16 January 2000 / 8.00pm)
Mrs Bradley attends a performance of The Mikado at her old finishing school, Hadley Heights, finds herself investigating the brutal murder of a teacher.
guest cast
ANNABELLE APSION as Mona Bunting / ROY BARRACLOUGH as Mr Simms / SUSAN WOOLDRIDGE as Mrs Simms / ELAINE CAXTON as Miss Ferris / MONIQUE DE VILLIERS as Clementine Dingwall Main / AMY MARSTON as Agnes Delamere / CARLI NORRISas Prunella ‘Plum’ Fisher / KEN OXTOBY as Mr Jenner / DAVID TENNANT as Max Valentine
WRITER: Simon Booker
DIRECTOR: James Hawes
(3) 2. THE RISING OF THE MOON (Sunday 23 January 2000 / 8.00pm)
Inspector Christmas calls in Mrs Bradley when an act in a travelling circus is stabbed to death, George is perturbed to find himself standing in for the act, part of a knife throwing routine. The villagers of Little Fordham soon turn resentful of the circus performers.
guest cast
KENNETH COLLEY as Archie Burlington / NICHOLAS WOODESON as John Forrester / MEERA SYAL as Madame Marlene / JANINE DUVITSKI as Mrs Cockerton / FRANCES MAGEE as Castries / FELICITY MONTAGU as Ruby Larkin / SHEILA STEAFEL as Celestine Venus / PETER GALLAGHER as Little Bernard / BIG MICK as Tom
WRITER: Julie Rutterford
DIRECTOR: Martin Hutchings
(4) 3. LAURELS ARE POISONS (Sunday 30 January 2000 / 8.00pm)
Whilst staying with friends at an apparently haunted country house Mrs Bradley gets involved in murder solving when one of the household is found poisoned.
guest cast
MICHELE DOTRICE as Amy Parkin / STUART BUNCE as Seth Billings / MICHAEL FOX as Ronnie Midwinter / VALERIE GOGAN as Jessie Midwinter / PHYLLIDA LAW as Isobel Marchmont / KENNETH MacDONALD as Alf Wolstenholm / JOANNA ROTH as Lacey Prideaux / RONAN VIBERT as Douglas Prideaux
WRITER: Gwyneth Hughes
DIRECTOR: Martin Hutchings
(5) 4. THE WORSTED VIPER (Sunday 6 February 2000 / 8.00pm)
George’s daughter Cecila is about to be married, Mrs Bradley travels with George to her seaside home town and discovers that a Satanic killer is at large following the murder of the Vicars daughter. Inspector Christmas is also in town and doesn’t seem too happy about Mrs Bradley’s investigations.
guest cast
REBECCA CALLARD as Cecily Moody / ISLA BLAIR as Myrtle Quincy / JOHN BOWE as Reverend Baines / CHARLOTTE FRANCES as Temperance Baines / JASON O’MARA as Jasper Hicks / ALEX PALMER as Lester Hicks / POOKY QUESNEL as Delilah Hicks / KATY LOWN as Polly / MATTHEW BURGESS as Constable Sharp
WRITER: Simon Booker
DIRECTOR: James Hawes
