Normally when I've got a cold/flu/or other illness for which rest is recommended, I pop in my DVD of the 1995 version of Pride & Prejudice, starring Jennifer Ehle as the spirited Elizabeth Bennet and the handsome Colin Firth as the dashing Fitzwilliam Darcy, and settle in for a good, long rest. Last night, however, I deviated from this routine and watched an installment of a new-to-me TV mystery, Case Histories, on Masterpiece Mystery. From the show link:
Jason Isaacs (Harry Potter, The Patriot) stars as private investigator Jackson Brodie, the tough former soldier and policeman with a heart of gold, in this series based on the acclaimed novels by Kate Atkinson. Brodie, haunted by a past family tragedy, struggles to balance his personal and professional life while coming to the rescue of the bereaved, the lost and the dysfunctional in the Scottish city of Edinburgh.
While they mention Brodie's heart of gold, they neglect to mention Isaacs's pecs of steel which, I assure you, are integral plot points.
And where did I find this image, you ask? Why, through a Google image search for "'jason isaacs' topless", which led me to none other than the PERVS R US tumblr site. Their motto: "We objectify hot men and don't feel ashamed!" So, uh, yeah, I like watching the show as much as I like watching the show, if you know what I mean.
Actually, I do like the show. Jackson Brodie, the main character, is ex-army and ex-cop. He's now a PI in Edinburgh. He has a penchant for getting involved with oddball types, probably due at least in part to his heart of gold. I do like an odd character and the British seem to do odd very well. Good characters also in his secretary, his former colleague on the police force and his young daughter. His ex-wife so far has been a bit one dimensional, but we may not see much of her anyway.
He also seems to have a knack for being in the right/wrong place at the right/wrong time, i.e., coincidences are a bit frequent. I'd prefer to see the coincidental stuff come about via other, more credible means, but that's a small quibble at the moment.
The series is based on author Kate Atkinson's Jackson Brodie series. How do I not know about this series? I shall have to remedy that situation asap. The first series was only 3 episodes long, although the episodes were longer than other Masterpiece Mystery shows. I'll guess they were each originally split into two episodes. I hope they make more episodes.
I think I can safely say that I enjoy all of Masterpiece Mystery's offerings. Wait. I wasn't too keen on Geraldine McEwan's Miss Marple. I know that's blasphemy to her fans, but there it is. My favorite Miss Marple was, of course, Joan Hickson. She set the Marple bar very high. I do like the current Miss Marple, Julia McKenzie.
But back to the men: I loved Mystery's Inspector Morse series and lamented the deaths of the character and John Thaw, who played Morse. Mystery has since produced the Inspector Lewis series, starring Morse's former lackey, Inspector Lewis, and Lewis's lackey, DS Hathaway. Now, the Lewis character doesn't do much for me, but the Hathaway character does. Hathaway is played by Laurence Fox, who looks quite a bit different from Brodie, in that the former looks like quite the long drink of water:
I like that he seems very comfortable in his long, thin body and that is attractive in itself. As an aside, I liked how Kristen Johnson seemed very comfortable using her body in 3rd Rock from the Sun. Hathaway is calm, thoughtful and quietly funny. He's intelligent and his education and status as an ex-seminary student provide him with knowledge the average person, and certainly Lewis, doesn't have. In that way, he reminds me a bit of Morse.
Speaking of Morse, I read on Mystery's website that Masterpiece will air a new Morse series in 2012, a Morse prequel to be exact:
Shaun Evans Plays Young Endeavour Morse
A prequel of the long-running series Inspector Morse — titled Endeavour — will air on Masterpiece mystery! in 2012, marking the 25th anniversary of the series' 1987 premiere. Shaun Evans (Ashes to Ashes) will play the younger version of Colin Dexter's iconic character. Set in 1965, the story follows the hunt for a missing schoolgirl, which draws Endeavour Morse back to the place that will define his destiny: Oxford.
Well, I am definitely looking forward to that series. (Morse's first name is "Endeavour", although his character keeps that quiet for most of the series.)
And now it's time for me and my tissue box to head off to bed. 'Night!
Recent Comments