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Mrs. Bradley Mysteries – British Television Series

Mrs. Bradley Mysteries: The Complete Series [DVD] Calling all Diana Rigg fans! Get ready to see Rigg dead-panning to the camera as only Diana Rigg can do. She is absolutely delightful as Mrs. Bradley, a middle age flapper with very modern views.

Mrs. Bradley Mysteries is a BBC production that I was fortunate to have watched years ago. It ran in Great Britain during 1998-1999, so I’m not sure when my local PBS channel aired it >>> some time around then. It was particularly fun to watch Diana Rigg as she introduced the shows (she starred) in on PBS – during her Mystery! hosting years. (Those were the days when they actually provided background information about the authors, times, ETC.)

Neil Dudgeon (lately seen as John Barnaby on Midsomer Murders) plays George, Mrs. Bradley’s chauffeur. Mrs. Bradley, with George’s help, solves crimes, and is quite a celebrity. She is known to be an excellent crime solver and a very modern thinker. She is a woman who never stops learning. She keeps up with all the events that are happening during the current times. She is a loyal friend, but values justice over friendship. Her interests include those that were thought to be only men’s interests during this time. She is not a woman who would retire with the ladies while the men smoked cigars and drank cognac in the study!

The ambiance of this series is beautiful. Diana Rigg (Mrs. Bradley) wears the most amazingly beautiful clothes. The entire wardrobe department has done a wonderful job. The 1920s was a time of opulence: sequined gowns, soft fabrics, and tuxedos were common-place for the upper echelon to wear during the evening. This was a time when people (at least in Mrs. Bradley’s aristocratic circle) dressed up for dinner >>> which was “announced.”

The sets are excellent, the props are perfect. The Rolls Royce that George and Mrs. Bradley tootle around in is a phenomenal piece of art. And, the mysteries are good, too!

The unfortunate thing about the Mrs. Bradley Mysteries is that there are so few episodes. A 90 minute pilot aired in 1998 and only four sixty minute episodes were made for their 1999 airing. I ask you: WHY only five episodes!?! These productions are so delightful. What a shame there are so few… (and while I’m asking “Why?” >>> why can’t the USA match Britain’s beautiful period pieces?)

For more movie and television show recommendations, visit this page on my site: TV and Movies.

*** This series is available on Netflix in the disc format. Also, check your libraries.

Comments

  1. I loved the pbs series on Mrs. Bradley. Saw them years ago and also borrowed them from our local library. Looking forward to seeing them again …even my hubby likes this pbs series as he is also a Diana Rigg fan. We used to watch all of the Avengers series. Hope we don’t miss this when it comes on tv.

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  2. I remember watching these sometime ago too. It was wonderful and Diana Rigg was great in that part. It is a shame there weren’t many episodes.
    Ann

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      • Oh, YES. I saw that on TV and then once years ago on You Tube but have never been able to find it online since. One of the very best series I ever saw — what a cast, and what a very sinister performance by the great, much lamented, Dame Diana.

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  3. I LOVED this series! I watched them a few years ago (rented the dvds from Netflix) for the same reason I see many series — someone on one of my sewing email lists had recommended it due to the magnificent costumes. I just LOVED her clothing in this series. Of course I love Diana Rigg too.. but the CLOTHING….!!!!!!!!!!!! Only so disappointed, as is everyone else, that they made so few episodes.

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    • Margaret, Netflix took the DVDs off for a while, but they are currently back. Gladys Mitchell wrote so many Mrs. Bradley mystery books >>> I don’t get why they didn’t make many more of those into shows.

      This is another case of the television series depicting a totally different character. I remember reading the first of Gladys Mitchell’s Mrs. Bradley series (Speedy Death), and wondering who the “Mrs. Bradley” in the book was! She was definitely not the amazingly beautiful “Mrs. Bradley” that Diana Rigg showed us!

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      • Yes — there is a radio version of Speedy Death (try YouTube) and the Mrs. Bradley in it is quite a different character.

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  5. I think the shortage of novels may be the reason behind the few episodes. I can’t remember offhand how many Mrs Bradley books there were, though. These recently reappeared on UK TV, along with the Peter Davidson ‘Campion’ of the similar vintage.

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  7. Hello. Well I couldn’t resist writing and agreeing with everyone about the beauty of the Mrs. Bradley series….the clothes, the cars, the house, the settings. And of course, the wonderful Diana Rigg. And someone mentioned her much older Brit tv series, The Avengers. A funny thing is that….well, the similarity in the great clothes, the great cars and the great backgrounds. But strangely, her character, mrs. Peel, was only in the series for one or two seasons (there were other female leads..Honour Blackman comes to mind)… But Diana Rigg is a standout in anything she does. (Couldn’t resist commenting)

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  8. Mrs. Bradley is Miss Fisher all grown up. I love both series! Both are strong, brilliant, beautiful women with enviable wardrobe!

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  9. Diana Rigg (Dame Diana, I believe), could read the phonebook, and I’d watch her. Even her intro’s to “Masterpiece Mysteries “, were as good as the shows…..

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  10. I miss the old-format Mystery on PBS. My sister and I used to watch it when we were teens, and I remember Diana Rigg hosting it, but don’t remember this show. I will have to check it out! The Avengers is still one of my favorite shows of all time, I even have the DVD collection and watch it every time modern shows start to bore me. 🙂 Can’t top it for witty innuendo and clever twists. And fab clothes, of course!

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      • You will love The Avengers! I adore the entire series, but most people prefer the Emma (Diana Rigg) episodes. A 1960’s twist on the kind of wit, glamour and romantic sparks of the 30’s Thin Man movies. Here’s a youtube link to a short trailer for one of their “new color episodes” that pretty much hits all the points that made people love the show.

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      • Wow, thanks for sharing that, Danna! I’m pretty sure I watched that one, back in the day, the one Diana Rigg introduced. That story scared me to pieces, if it’s the one I remember. The opening animated sequence is still wonderful, why don’t they just keep using that one? I miss it even more now. Maybe they don’t have the budget to do separate shows any longer.

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        • Donna Mc, I hadn’t thought about it, but you’re so right! The Mystery! shows (on a whole) used to be wrapped up in one week.

          I enjoyed it when the introductions were done in sumptuous surroundings. They were “events” >>> not just an actor reading some lines.

          (You may be remembering Mother Love. That was one scary psychological mini series. And, it was excellent!)

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  11. Because of their age, some of the earlier ‘Avengers’, especially the Honor Blackman era, were rather ‘klunky’, but they livened up when Mrs Peel came along, and colour was introduced. By the way, Joanna Lumley was an ‘Avengers’ girl, but as Purdey in the later reboot, not the originals. More feminine, but could still kick derriere!

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  12. Here’s why they don’t do period pieces A) too expensive B) Actors and the Actors unions make it almost impossible to hire Actors for very little monies.C) English actors DO NOT get residules like American actors. And, finally to do this kind of show in America is way too expensive set wise.And, TV networks don’t think WE want to see them. Also, cheaper to buy the series and not pay the resids.And, yes I was in show business so I pretty much know what productions cost.

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    • James, thanks for the “insider information” on the productions cost info! I’m not surprised that it’s harder and more expensive to get period pieces made – it’s certainly always impressive when one comes out that absolutely nails the feel of a time period, and that must be a lot of work!

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  13. I am watching this delightful series by streaming from Britbox_US….wonderful!! I too wish there were more.

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  14. I just discovered this wonderful series and what a shame there were so few episodes. “Midsomer Murders” managed to create 20 years of episodes despite so few actual books having been written. Why couldn’t they do the same with this beautiful series? There had to be a reason it didn’t happen. Wonder what it was.

    I’ve been a fan of Diana Rigg since I was a kid. I loved her character in “The Avengers” so much that I named my daughter Emma! I wanted her to be strong and independent just like Mrs. Peel! (She is!)

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  15. I watched the pilot on Britbox and had the option at the end to purchase the series episodes so I snagged them. Love this show!

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