Miss S

Well of course it's based on the Ms Fisher series, but so what? It stands on its own as an entertaining, likeable and enjoyable series. The key characters are fun, interesting and act with great chemistry. If it's not true to its time for all things, then it's still very appealing. Miss S and the Inspector make it all worthwhile and their restraint while flirting made it only more enjoyable. The support cast have their moments and generally strengthen the show's appeal, though I agree old Uncle Xiang is a bit dopey and useless. Overall a good show and while was hoping to use it to improve my rusty mandarin, I found the subtitles absolutely necessary and sometimes quietly hilarious.

Miss Fisher fans should check out this reboot, preferably after being prepared for what's the same, and what isn't. Here are some key points:

1 - The scripts closely follow the original in both the mysteries and the players, with some East-West and temporal adjustments. The 30 episodes of Miss S's first season are clones of 15 tales from Phryne's first two seasons, stretched into 50+-minute two-parters. The more you remember from before, the less you'll be surprised by the outcomes. This one's set in the 1930s - a decade later than the former, reducing the carryover from World War I in everyone's backstories. They do include the running thread of the heroine's childhood trauma from the creep who abducted her sister.

2 - Miss S is wealthier than Phryne. Her mansion makes Miss F's elegant abode look like tract housing. Her car is more exotic, as well. The Shanghai sets and costumes in general are a bit more lavish than in the Australian original.

3 - The supporting players are quite similar. The new will-they-won't-they police inspector, Weiguang Gao, is more handsome than his counterpart, but even more of a stiff. A few characters repeat in diminished roles, like her aunt, doctor friend and butler. A huge bonus comes from the casting of her new assistant/protege. Guanjin Bu takes Dot's charming innocence to new heights. She's petite and absolutely adorable, making her growth in the job even more delightful. Her constable love interest is more of a dufus than the original's Hugh, adding to the comic element.

4 - The biggest difference between our eponymous women may be due to cultural constraints. Miss S. Is as bright, confident and worldy as Phryne, but more reserved in her degree of coquettishness. Her flirting is relatively tame; her amorous byplay virtually non-existent. She shows more leg, particularly in long Chinese dresses with deep side slits, but no decolletage. Miss S. Is also more of a damsel in distress during physical encounters, lacking the toughness and survival skills Phryne periodically summoned for self-defense. For Western viewers, that's quite a loss. Instead of Emma Peel's putative grandmother, we get a younger, hotter Jessica Fletcher.

I hope these comparisons help maximize your enjoyment of this charming series.

I just finished Miss S. Simply wonderful. The production was top notched, beautifully done. The acting was fantastic! If you liked Miss Fisher, you should LOVE this! It is fun to compare the 2 versions. There aren't that many differences and the ones that are actually made it more enjoyable. And the fashions on Miss Su and Inspector Luo are beautiful. In fact Inspector Luo dresses better than Detective Robinson. I hope they do the rest of the Miss Fisher stories. GREAT fun! A must see! I really can't anything wrong with it at all. Don't let the fact it is Chinese stop you from watching. I'm a middle-aged white woman from Texas.

This is a lavish Chinese production of the Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries. The sets and decor are quite well done but probably not meant for a global audience as it lacks appeal. Probably would do very well with a local Chinese audience.

This series pays a nice homage to the "Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries". If you are a fan of the original series set in Melbourne this is quite a treat. Miss Su is Phryne Fisher with the series being set in Shanghi instead of Australia. It does incorporate some cultural differences but the spirit of the lead remains the intact. An independent woman of means who becomes a lady detective in the 20's. The costumes are a delight, and much of the original storyline remains intact. I would recommend the Essie Davis version as a first introduction, but this is a very nice adaptation.