The first episode in a proposed series for the venerable PBS Mystery! pairs a coolly aristocratic Scotland Yard inspector, Thomas Lynley (Nathaniel Parker), with a rather resentful working-class sergeant, Barbara Havers (Sharon Small), on the case of the murder of a Yorkshire farmer found with his head cut off. While the farmer's painfully shy daughter--traumatized into muteness by the incident--is certainly a possible suspect, the uneasily partnered cops uncover other leads as they work through both the homicide and their personal problems. Based on a novel by American writer Elizabeth George, the story belongs to (as program host Diana Rigg explains) the “cozy genre” shared by the works of Agatha Christie and Dorothy L. Sayers. While this diverting adaptation isn't Mystery! in its prime (as in Prime Suspect), it's certainly worth a look, and sure to be popular with fans of the series. Recommended. [Note: DVD extras include two text interviews with costars Nathaniel Parker and Sharon Small, five cast filmographies, a selected text cast list, a text bibliography of Inspector Lynley author Elizabeth George, a text biography of Mystery! host Diana Rigg, weblinks, and DVD-ROM features (including a virtual tour of Mystery!'s Studio A set). Bottom line: a small extras package for a solid small-screen film.] (T. Rich)
The Inspector Lynley Mysteries: A Great Deliverance
WGBH, 2 videocassettes, 180 min., not rated, VHS: $29.95 Volume 17, Issue 6
The Inspector Lynley Mysteries: A Great Deliverance
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