DVD
Hetty Wainthropp Investigates
Series Three

Starring: Patricia Routledge, Derek Benfield and Dominic Monaghan
Acorn Media
RRP: £24.99
AV9608
Certificate: 12
Available 06 March 2006


T
he Wainthropp Agency, having garnered a glowing reputation, now has many varied cases including Satanist pyromaniacs, a stalking paparazzo-style photographer, a string of racist restaurant robberies and drug possession in Hetty's nephew's school. Hetty isn't in it for the money, as she finds solving problems and helping other people reward enough...

Hetty Wainthropp Investigates, based on the novels by David Cook, follows a great English tradition of eccentric female characters which solve murder mysteries. Like her forbearer, Miss Marple, Hetty takes her little notebook and her odd English affectations and tries to help people, in the depths of Lancashire, whose lives have taken a turn for the worst. This quasi-humorous show stars Patricia Routledge, whose previous series for television had been Keeping up Appearances and Talking Heads. For sidekicks, and every hero needs one, Hetty had her dependable and lazy husband Robert, played by the excellently laconic Derek Benfield, and Dominic Monaghan, who plays the ever enthusiastic Geoffrey, who has subsequently found fame and fortune in The Lord of the Rings and Lost.

By now in the series John Graham-Davies had become a regular as D.C.I. Adams, appearing in sixteen of the episodes of the show's four year run. To add to the ensemble feeling Suzanne Maddock also has a recurring role as Janet Fraser.

The three discs in this set represent the entirety of series three, which only consist of nine episodes - three more that the second series - and originally ran between November 1997 and January 1998. Each disc is presented in the original stereo and, for the most part, the picture is clear, if a little soft. Extras are better than on Series Two with the option for subtitles, some filmographies, a picture gallery and cast interviews, on disc one, and nothing in the way of extras on disc two and three.

The first disc contains the first three episodes All Stitched Up, Daughter of the Regiment and Serving the Community.

All Stitched Up sees our Lancashire lass going under cover in a sewing circle to discover the truth behind a pyromaniac, who is terrorising his local community.

Daughter of the Regiment is a case of be careful what you ask for as Hetty goes under cover as an Australian to discover why a wealthy woman's daughter and fiancé are being followed by a photographer.

In Serving the Community Robert complicates Hetty's life when he becomes an unfortunate receiver of stolen goods which is connected to a case involving the targeting of the local Asian community for robbery.

Part of what makes Hetty so good, apart from the directors, was that the show employed a good number of well seasoned writers who where used to working in the detective genre. Most notable is Brian Finch, who wrote the second story and had worked extensively on Bergerac, and Philip Martin, who wrote the last story on this disc, who had penned the most excellent Gangsters - now there's a show crying out for a re-release, if only from me. This level of writing held up across all four series and goes a long way to account for the show's longevity, in people's minds, long after the last episode was aired.

Ok, so on to disc two and more mayhem in the Lancashire countryside. This disc contains the episodes Fisticuffs, Childsplay and Pursuit by Proxy.

Fisticuffs sets up an odd situation. When following a car accident, the perpetrator not only leaves the scene of the accident but also punches the victim first, for good measure. It's a mystery and if there is one thing Hetty loves it's a mystery.

Childsplay, and problems have come way too close to home, when Hetty's nephew is excluded from school over drugs. Hetty is having none of this and comes over all Dinnerladies as she infiltrates the school to prove his innocence.

Pursuit by Proxy sees husband Robert head off to Australia on a freebee to be replaced by his brother Frank (played by Frank Mills). This one involves more white collar shenanigans as Hetty tracks down a company director who has done a bunk with all the money.

Now, you must be thinking that this all seems a bit samey, and if truth were told it is, but in this type of show it is often the audiences familiarity with the characters which make them come back time and again. This is true of the show, where the cast turns in their characterisations with such easy aplomb that watching the show is like revisiting old friends.

Ok, so we're on the last leg with the final three episodes, A Minor Operation, Helping Hansi and How Time Flies.

A Minor Operation and Frank has his feet under the table, becoming a regular character, which gives the writers a whole other character to play with. Frank is, obviously, destined to add to the comic relief as he gets himself involved with a woman with amour on her mind. Hetty meanwhile is exposing a theft ring run by nurses.

Helping Hansi finds the gang trying to help out an elderly German gentleman who lost track of his family in the war. Unfortunately, others of his generation seem to have some problem moving on from the war and Hansi is targeted as a Nazi.

Last episode in the third series is How Time Flies. Hetty has to unravel the connection between an unhappy marriage and a stolen clock.

So, there you have it, good old fashioned Sunday afternoon fare, resplendent with strong writing, direction and acting. The picture obviously points to the show's age. It's not too bad but then again it's not great. Still, you quickly get over this as Hetty drags you into another mystery. Time to sit down with a cup of tea and a slice of cake to see if we can work out whodunit.

Charles Packer

Buy this item online
We compare prices online so you get the cheapest deal!
Click on the logo of the desired store below to purchase this item.


cover
£18.74 (Amazon.co.uk)
   
cover
£14.99 (Play.com)
   
£22.99 (HMV.co.uk)
   
£17.89 (Sendit.com)
   
£16.99 (Bensons-world.co.uk)
   
£16.97 (Thehut.com)

All prices correct at time of going to press.