The Mrs Bradley Mysteries

Diana Rigg is back in top form as the larger than life (but firmly grounded on human misdemeanours) character of Mrs. Bradley. Neil Dudgeon and Peter Davison provide a solid counterweight to her flights of fancy and intuition, which is a bit ironic for Davison - who made part of his career out of playing Margery Allingham's super-sleuth(and upper class to boot) Campion. I have only had access to three episodes, but they are lengthy enough for characters to develop and for the interplay between them to become a given. I think the acting, art direction, sets and music will take anyone to heaven. This is way above (& beyond) any Agatha Christie screen adaptation - and Diana Rigg *is* Mrs. Bradley, much in the same way that Jeremy Brett *was* Sherlock Holmes. Bravo!

Dame Diana Rigg is as smooth as a glass of brandy, but don't let that fool you. She's intelligent and clever in the role of the thrice-divorced Mrs. Adela Bradley in the Mrs. Bradley Mysteries series. Adela solves mysteries in a variety of interesting places- from a haunted house to a lovely seaside resort- along with her sidekick/chauffeur George (Neil Dudgeon). Bradley has the best of advice and sarcasm to offer to those involved in her cases, and the audience too. The series of mini-mysteries is very enjoyable to watch- the 1930s period costumes, props, and cars bring out the best in this sexy, savvy series that keeps you on the edge of your seat in pure fun.

Produced in 1999 length 1 hr. 22 min. Based on the novel "Speedy Death" by Gladys Mitchell.

Mrs. Adela Bradley (Diana Rigg), an amateur sleuth has her Bunter, oops, I mean chauffeur George (Neil Dudgeon). The pair plays off on another as if they could read each other's minds.

It is the year 1929. We are privy to Mrs. Bradley going to her ex-husband's funeral as background. "Today, a funeral, tomorrow, an engagement party. Life goes on, n'est-pas?" says Mrs. Bradley as she has been invited to her Goddaughter Eleanor's (Emma Fielding) engagement party. There, as in all good mysteries, we are introduced to the main characters (soon to be suspects) as Eleanor's affianced is mysteriously dispatched that evening. Who could have done it and why? The investigating doctor must prepare for a real shocker and so do we.

People who are used to this type of British mystery will have pretty much guessed the answer by this time. However, it is fun to see how the characters slowly realize what happened. By the way, will anybody else be dispatched in the process?

"Speedy Death" is a part of a series of Mrs. Bradley on film.

"Speedy Death" takes one DVD There are two more DVDs each with two complete standalone stories for a total of five.

You may be spending time saying where have I seen that actor before as they are immensely popular in the British mystery series.

Death at the Opera The Rising of the Moon Laurels Are Poison The Worsted Viper.

..but sadly, i found the writing not nearly up to snuff of most BBC mysteries. Combined with directing at a snail's pace, I longed for Miss Fisher mysteries set in the same era where the pace didn't put me to sleep. The acting is good as you would expect from these veterans, but they just don't have much to work with in terms of script.

I am puzzled by the negative reviews, not to mention the show producers' decision to pull the plug after airing just a handful of stories. Here we are in 2015, awash in much-acclaimed period costume TV dramas which serve up contrived, soap-ish plots and uneven dialogue - neither particularly at home in the prewar era they pretend to capture. By comparison, Mrs Bradley Mysteries sparkles. The exteriors and interiors alone are hypnotic. The acting is spot on. A great many feminist messages are shared but without rubbing the viewer's nose in it. There is wit and affection and murder mystery on par with Agatha Christie. I enjoyed every minute. Strongly recommended.