The Cozy Mystery List Blog

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

Ellery Queen Mysteries Television Show

Ellery Queen Mysteries What a delightful surprise! I did not know about these shows until a Cozy Mystery reader recommended them to me. And boy am I glad she did!

The Ellery Queen Mysteries aired during the mid 1970s, and starred Jim Hutton as Ellery and David Wayne as his father. The premise of the show is: Ellery Queen is a 1940s best selling author of mystery books. Ellery’s father is a police inspector. They live together as only two bachelors could – Ellery has filled their living room (his writing room) with all sorts of murder weapons – guns, knives, even a snake with its venomous fangs exposed. Also, their kitchen seems to be mostly for making their coffee and morning toast.

Richard Levinson and William Link were the two men responsible for this series, as well as shows like Murder, She Wrote, Columbo, Mannix, and many television movies. The Ellery Queen Mysteries were a predecessor to Murder, She Wrote – a show which also featured many weekly guest stars. The good news, however, about the guest stars in the Ellery Queen Mysteries is this: Unlike Murder, She Wrote, the most famous guest star of each episode didn’t always turn out to be the person who committed the crime. For those of you who plan on watching these really good Cozy Mystery shows, the guest stars are big names from when the show aired as well as from the 1940s and 1950s Hollywood movies. People like Larry Hagman, Joan Collins, Eve Arden, Tom Bosley, Eva Gabor, Ed McMahon, and Betty White. (Oops, I guess she qualifies as a star today!)

Ellery tags along to crime scenes with his police detective father and invariably is attracted to some type of minutia. Some of the time Ellery doesn’t even want to be involved with the criminal investigation. A lot of the time he has an editor’s deadline he must hurry to meet, but something about the crime scene catches his attention. Why did the victim drag herself to the television set’s plug? Why did the comic book author mark a particular item?

Ellery loves to solve the cases with all of the suspects gathered togethrer (à la Hercule Poirot) – but this only happens after Ellery takes a “private moment” with the television audience. He looks into the camera and goes over all of the clues – asking us if we have figured out the solution.

I absolutely love the relationship between Ellery and his father. The chemistry is undeniable… you would think these two are truly related. David Wayne (Ellery’s dad) frets over his son – making sure he wears his coat in cold weather, giving him fatherly advise on taking care of his cold, etc. He is endearing. You don’t see such displays of father-son affection in very many television shows.

I don’t want to end this entry before mentioning that actor John Hillerman plays the host of a mystery theme radio show – “The Casebook of Simon Brimmer.” Hillerman is delightful as he somehow interjects himself into many of the cases. His ultimate goal is to find the culprit before Ellery or the police do, in order to publicly take the credit for the solving of the crime. Usually he “solves” the mystery only to have to amend his solution when he finds that Ellery has once again beat him at finding the correct solution to the mystery. As big a twit as Simon Brimmer is, John Hillerman is able to make him a likable know-it-all!

(PS>>> I have not read the Ellery Queen mystery books, so I cannot vouch for how true to the books these shows are.)

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

PBS Masterpiece Mystery! Inspector Lewis Mysteries – 2011 New Season

This is a VERY quick note: Inspector Lewis (starring Kevin Whately and Laurence Fox) is finally back! A new Inspector Lewis season will be airing, starting this Sunday (September 4, 2011) night on most PBS stations. There will be four new episodes for us to enjoy:

Sunday, September 4, 2011 – Inspector Lewis: Old, Unhappy, Far Off Things

Sunday, September 11, 2011 – REPEAT Inspector Lewis: Your Sudden Death Question

Sunday, September 18, 2011 – Inspector Lewis: Wild Justice

Sunday, September 25, 2011 – Inspector Lewis: The Mind Has Mountains

Sunday, October 2, 2011 – REPEAT – Inspector Lewis: Falling Darkness

Sunday, October 9, 2011 – Inspector Lewis: The Gift of Promise

Don’t forget to either set up your current recording device, or make sure to post it on your calendar so you have plenty of time to pop up the pop corn and get comfy in front of your telly!

New Tricks – British Television Mystery Series

If you want to watch a tongue-in-cheek police procedural television show that makes light of aging “coppers” while also showing that people with age and experience make the best workers >>> then the British television series called New Tricks is probably exactly what you are looking for. (I happen to be a big fan of this British, humorous police procedural dramedy.)

New Tricks features one middle-age detective (Amanda Redman) who recently botched a large hostage operation. Because of this embarrrasement to the police force, she is assigned to head a cold case department. The three men she is assigned to work for her are policemenn who retired years ago… years and years ago! (Dennis Waterman, James Bolam, and Alun Armstrong play the retired coppers.)

Alun Armstrong plays Brian – a manic/depressive (I believe). He is a sort of walking computer. He can recall facts, names, dates, just about everything that was pertinent to the cases when they occurred years ago. Brian is fine… when he’s on his medications.

Dennis Waterman plays Gerry, an aging Lothario. I have lost count of how many ex-wives he has. He is the (somewhat) tough copper… who still considers himself to be quite the lady’s man.

Jack Halford’s character (James) is still in love with his best friend and wife… who has been dead for several years. He has built a shrine to her in his back yard, which he visits regularly.

As for Amanda Redman’s character (Sandra) – while she respects these older men, she also has to keep them in check >>> reign them in, make them follow the politically correct rules that are enforced in today’s police department. These three … I guess “codgers” is the term I’m looking for – policed during the days when it was “acceptable” to rough-up suspects. Sandra has her work cut out for her!

Of course, this cold case squad has a tremendous success rate. What else could we expect? But, the cases aren’t as important (to me!) as the characters’ interactions. What is that old saying? “Getting there is half the fun.” Well, in this case, all the fun is getting there!

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

Memphis Beat is Back…

Just a quick reminder for all of you who started watching Memphis Beat last summer… It’s back! It stars Jason Lee (main character), Alfre Woodard (boss), Sam Hennings (partner), DJ Qualls (comic relief/young cop), & Celia Weston (Lee’s mom) — with the wonderful music of Keb’ Mo’.

This is one of the non-British “cop shows” that I truly enjoy. This show has something in common with the other three “cop shows” I watch: It’s on a non-major-network channel. Memphis Beat (TNT), The Closer (TNT), In Plain Sight (USA), and Law & Order: Criminal Intent (USA). ***Yes, I have to finally come clean… I am seriously thinking about dropping Castle from my television viewing. The cliff hangers at the end of the first half of the season (right before the month and a half hiatus) and at the end of the season just aren’t doing it for me any more.  Also, having gone through the mid/late 1980s Moonlighting romantic tension between the two main characters, I find this one absolutely too much. How many times are we going to see Castle tell Kate he loves her… while she is either frozen, out cold from being shot, ETC? Good grief!***

I certainly didn’t mean to go on and on… I just want to remind those of you who enjoy Memphis Beat that it is finally back. And, the good thing about being on a non-major-network-channel is that they repeat shows during the week. If you enjoy the show, or are in the market for possibly picking up a new “cop show”… stay tuned to your TVGuide!

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