TV Series review: Agatha Raisin

                                                 

Agatha Raisin is a sharp-witted, very attractive PR executive who swaps her high-flying London career for a quiet life in the English village of Carsley, imbued with the bucolic charm that only English villages with extraordinarily high murder counts can achieve. The Cotswolds seem to be light years away from the hustle and bustle of London life, but Agatha is kept very busy as murders follow in her footsteps. Soon she is an unofficial sleuth, and very shortly after her talents are both recognised and deplored by the local coppers, she opens an official detective agency. The series is adapted from MC Beaton’s novels of the same name and blend quirky charm with cosy murder mystery and the unique sense of ‘Britishness’ of a typically English rural setting.

Ashley Jensen is Agatha; attractive, quick-thinking, and with a love of very expensive shoes with very high heels. I think a large section of the budget must have been devoted to the shoes. She lives next door to James Lacey, played by Jamie Glover, and their on/off love affair plays out over the episodes. He is handsome, rugged-looking, suave, and well-dressed. Even his jeans are pressed. However, he is a bit of a stuffed shirt and pretty soon I thought Agatha was better off without him. So did she. Then we have Sir Charles Fraith (Jason Merrells) who is a confirmed flirt and desperate to find love. He lives in a stately pile that any woman would be happy in. The exact opposite of James, Sir Charles always looks slightly dishevelled, as if he jumped into a laundry basket and then wore what stuck. He is so funny and disarming and is much more appealing.

The coppers mentioned above start out like the Keystone Cops so it’s easy for Agatha to run rings around them. Matt McCooey plays DC Wong, a handsome half Japanese officer who is utterly sweet and disarming. Jason Barnett plays DC Wilkes, a chubby black officer who is very officious and has a few run-ins with Agatha. These two are hilarious and prove that there are no small parts. However, the absolute scene stealer is Marcia Warren as Mrs Boggle. The name says it all; the old lady who inserts herself into every aspect of village life. She is so funny and well worth watching. There are no age barriers when it comes to acting.

The absolute joy in watching this series is the ensemble acting. The village has a great sense of camaraderie and so do the characters who make up Agatha’s team. There are a few more I have not mentioned. While there were a few determined DEI castings initially, I think soon the scriptwriters stopped meddling and the makeup of the village was determined by the stories and the situations leading to the murders. This is a great pick for weekend viewing but be warned: you will binge watch so make plenty of popcorn!