I'm a big fan of Mystery! on PBS. The 2010 season that starts May 2 brings back two of my favorite series. One series that I really, really want to like but end up being completely frustrated by. And a series that I am so-so about.
My two favorites are FOYLE'S WAR and POIROT. I am so excited that they are doing another Foyle's series. I was very sad when V-E Day was announced on the last episode. I thought for sure that was the end for the soft-spoken and intelligent Christopher Foyle, his wounded Sergeant and his plucky driver. The new series starts immediately after V-E Day and there are only three episodes. But three is better than none!
David Suchet is POIROT. In my view everyone else who tries to play Poirot is an imposter. There are 3 new mysteries for Poirot to exercise his little grey cells: MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS, THE THIRD GIRL, and APPOINTMENT WITH DEATH. I know I'll love them.
The series I really, really want to like but don't is MISS MARPLE. I find myself yelling at the screen, "No, no, no! That's not what happened at all!" I guess the "creative" people behind the series think that since their viewers already know the plot that they have to rearrange everything and throw in other Christie's sleuths to entice the viewers to watch (or worse, have Miss Marple show up in non-Marple mysteries like THE SECRET OF CHIMNEYS that they are doing this year).
Or they think that new viewers who somehow never heard of Miss Marple wouldn't want to watch a "boring" cozy mystery so they throw in all kinds of modern day twists and treats to sex it up a bit. As I told a friend who also doesn't like these new Miss Marples and refuses to watch them because the only Miss Marple (in his book) is Joan Hickson, "If one of the spinster women in the village is recast as a lesbian, she'll be the murderer even if that character was the victim in the original story!"
So the "creative" people have alienated me because their reconfigured Miss Marples make no sense and completely kills everything enjoyable about the books. And I wouldn't be surprised if new viewers come away thinking, "I don't get what the big deal is about Agatha Christie. The plot doesn't make sense and neither does the motive for murder." That is, I think, the saddest part.
Finally, INSPECTOR LEWIS is back with one new episode. I have to admit I was never a big fan of Morse. I thought he was too snooty, boring, and standoffish. I did like Lewis. But not nearly enough for me to want to watch him. It's only one episode so I guess I'll watch it.
Check out the Masterpiece Mystery website for more info. Or click here for a PDF download of the 2010 Season.
