The Cozy Mystery List Blog

Cozy Mystery (and Other Favorite) Books, Movies, and TV

Jesse Stone’s Benefit of the Doubt – Sunday, May 20, 2012 on CBS

I know it’s only Wednesday, but I want to make sure all of you Jesse Stone movie fans get the word: Tom Selleck will be back this Sunday night (on CBS) as Jesse Stone. The newest of the Jesse Stone movies is called Benefit of the Doubt. (The Jesse Stone movies are based on Robert B. Parker‘s Jesse Stone Mystery Series.)

My husband and I are Jesse Stone movie fans, and I have already set up our DVR (equivalent) form of taping. Can you tell we are looking forward to this latest Jesse Stone addition?

This will be the eighth Jesse Stone movie in the series. For those of you who might be “arriving late to the dance” >>> Jesse Stone is the police chief of a town called Paradise. He “left” his big-city job because of his heavy drinking, and has done a great job as the police chief… except in the eyes of a few higher-ups of the town, who have put him on administrative leave (I can’t remember if it was permanent, or not). Benefit of the Doubt has Jesse trying to get his job back.

The even better news is that a lot of the “regulars” will be back, also. Kathy Baker (Rose), Kohl Sudduth (Suitcase), Saul Rubinek (Hasty Hathaway), William Devane (Jesse’s psychologist), William Sadlerd (an underworld-type mobster), and Stephen McHattie (a homicide commander for the state.)

Here are all of the earlier Jesse Stone movies. 

Here are some of my previous Jesse Stone entries:

Jesse Stone Entry from May 22, 2011

Entry from April 1, 2010

Robert B. Parker Entry from January 22, 2010

Jesse Stone Entry from February 26, 2009

Jesse Stone Entry from July 10, 2007

In Plain Sight is Back!

The USA channel show In Plain Sight is going to be returning tonight! Yes, tonight – March 16, 2012. Mary (Mary McCormack) will be back after maternity leave, and Brandi (Nichole Hiltz), … well, I’m assuming she will still be single after last season’s cliff hanger. I sure hope we get to see more of Jinx (Lesley Ann Warren) this season, and I also hope this show is not in its last season! (It’s going to be bad enough losing The Closer after this summer’s run!)

In Plain Sight is one of my favorite shows. It ranks (for me) right up there with TNT’s The Closer. Both of these shows are on “non-major” networks, which may have something to do with how women are portrayed on the major networks, and perhaps because they aren’t major network shows, the writers try harder. (I don’t know of any really good shows that feature strong, female leads on the major networks. – I’m sure though, that I will hear from people who know of such shows, they just aren’t shows that have “hooked me” into watching them.)

And, the writers have managed to make the male characters on the show interesting, also. I love Marshall Marshall Mann (Frederick Weller),  Mary’s long-suffering boss Stan (Paul Ben-Victor), and think Brandi made a terrible mistake with Peter (Joshua Malina). As for Raphael (Cristián de la Fuente), well… what’s to say? I guess Mary just didn’t want to be burdened with absolute perfection!

If you haven’t already watched In Plain Sight, I strongly recommend that you do. (I would definitely watch it chronologically, though.) If you are a fan (as I am!): Get over to your DVR right now, or make sure you are watching tonight as Albuquerque’s Witness Protection marshalls do their thing!

Father Brown Television Series…

Father Brown - Set 1 I will start out by admitting that I have not read any of G. K. Chesterton‘s Father Brown mystery books. So I cannot compare between the two media, nor can I tell you how similar the shows are to the mystery books.

The Father Brown television episodes star Kenneth More as the curate sleuth. He reminds me a lot of Joan Hickson’s Miss Marple. He is extremely observant, seems to fade into the background, and also is very inquisitive. Because of this  Catholic priest’s ability to be over-looked, he is able to garner a lot of information which would normally not be shared by people – especially the culprits!

The Father Brown series takes place during the 1920s, and I found the production sets to be very believable. (Of course, I don’t know the era personally!) But, I must warn you, if you’re looking for the razzle-dazzle of today’s television productions, you will not be impressed. These shows seem to have been filmed using video tape rather than film. (I could be wrong about this, though.)  I, on the other hand, am more interested in the acting and the actual mysteries… and this show does not fall short on either of these things.

Kenneth More makes these Father Brown mysteries a delight to watch. He portrays the curate as a slightly out-of-touch-with-reality individual, which of course makes people underestimate him. Father Brown’s sidekick is Hercule Flambeau (Dennis Burgess).  Hercule isn’t involved in every case, but their paths seem to overlap quite a bit. Hercule is the more serious of the two and lacks the mischievousness playfulness and wink-at-the-audience attitude of Father Brown.

My husband and I have enjoyed the Father Brown television episodes… but, again, if you’re looking for today’s film productions, pass on these really good, Cozy Mystery shows.

If you would like to see more TV and Movies suggestions, click here.

Murdoch Mysteries Television Show

There are actually two Murdoch Mysteries series – both are Canadian productions and both are based on author Maureen Jennings’ Murdoch Mystery Series. Both series are set in the late 1890s and feature a police detective (William Murdoch) – who is an avid reader of scientific findings and inventions. This entry will be about the Murdoch Mysteries television series, not the Canadian made-for-TV movies.

Murdoch’s interest in modern (for the times) theories enables him to make gadgets that help him solve cases. He is years before his time… in some cases,  over one hundred years before his time. Murdoch makes gadgets that are quite similar to today’s – a “circumscope” (periscope) using opera glasses, a lie detector using who knows what types of tubes with blue liquid, etc. There are many sly references to today, as well. Sergeant George introduces Murdoch to a very new beverage -coffee. Murdoch states he doesn’t see coffee as something that will catch on, when they already have tea.

Not only is Murdoch ahead of his times. Apparently the entire police force is made up of very modern thinking men. They totally accept the beautiful female forensic pathologist. And, the female doctor is also way ahead of her time: She speaks easily about finding sperm in a corpse, and uses a substance very close to today’s Luminal.

The first Murdoch Mysteries series was a movie series… sort of like the old movies-of-the-week. The second Murdoch Mysteries is a Canadian CityTV television series. This television series stars Yannick Bisson as Inspector Murdoch, Hélène Joy as Dr. Julia Ogden, Jonny Harris as Constable George Crabtree, and Thomas Craig as Murdoch’s boss. (Thomas Craig is a stand-out for me.)

I first started watching this Murdoch Mysteries series after I watched the original series. The first “movie” series was grittier and less obsessed with what I will call “the forensic gross-out” details. Since the first series was from 2004 and this one is more current (four years later) I will blame this on shows like CSI Miami, CSI Anchorage, CSI Topeka, in short, CSI!

I guess you might call these Murdoch episodes sci-fi mysteries. You have to “go with it” >>> These are not for everyone. And, of course, what Victorian, sci-fi mystery would be complete without real historical characters? Enter Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Prince Alfred, Buffalo Bill Cody, Nicola Tesla, etc..

I have to admit that I found the previous Murdoch Mysteries series of movies more believable. This series stars Peter Outerbridge as Murdoch, Colm Meaney as his boss, and Keeley Hawes as the doctor. However, as I stated above, they are grittier.

PS>>> I have not read any of Maureen Jennings’ Murdoch Mysteries. This television series does show certain biases, which for me, is not a problem. I am able to just “go with it” and totally disregard the “politically correct” views the series clearly endorses. I do not know if Jennings’ mystery novels do the same. Also, the show is named The Artful Detective in some areas, rather than the Murdoch Mysteries.

If you would like to see more TV and Movies suggestions, click here.

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