Laurels Are Poison (30 Jan. 2000)

While visiting an old friend on her baronial estate, Mrs. Bradley tries to solve the poisoning of a cook and George confront's his dead brother's c.o.

Director:

Martin Hutchings

Writers:

Gladys Mitchell (novel), Gwyneth Hughes (screenplay)

Stars:

Diana Rigg, Neil Dudgeon, Stuart Bunce

Cast

Episode complete credited cast:
Diana Rigg	...	Mrs. Adela Bradley
Neil Dudgeon	...	George Moody
Stuart Bunce	...	Seth Billings
Michele Dotrice	...	Amy Parkin
Michael Fox	...	Ronnie Midwinter
Valerie Gogan	...	Jessie Midwinter
Phyllida Law	...	Isobel Marchant
Kenneth MacDonald	...	Alf Wolstenholm
Joanna Roth	...	Lacey Prideux
Ronan Vibert	...	Douglas Prideux

Storyline

Mrs. Bradley decides to visit her old friend Isobel Marchmont, but soon after her arrival realizes that not all is well. Her friend's daughter Lacey Prideux is pregnant again having given birth only in the last year and the servants are familiar. When the cook is poisoned, Mrs. Bradley and George must first determine the secrets of the house but are unable to do so until before two more of the occupants are killed. George realizes that Douglas Prideux commanded his late brother who died in World War I and has a number of questions he wants answered. .

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Plot Keywords:

mrs bradley | old friend | cook | estate | liberated woman | 

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Genres:

Thriller | Mystery

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Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

30 January 2000 (UK)

Filming Locations:

Dorney Court, Dorney, Buckinghamshire, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), BBC America, WGBH

Technical Specs

Runtime:

60 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Quotes

Mrs. Adela Bradley: The feminine value of self-sacrifice is entirely foreign to my nature.

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Soundtracks

"Anything Goes"
(uncredited)
By Cole Porter

User Reviews

The Curare Cure

Of the four Mrs Bradley mysteries that were made before the series was canceled, this is the best. I don't recommend any of them, but if you must, watch this one.

It has a real mystery, not a hoked up Hardy Boys adventure. It actually exploits the period well, in fact better in terms of aura than any of these cookiecutter period mysteries from the UK. We still have that awkward device of the butler-bedcompanion to the aged flapper, but he is more real here than in the others.

There is still a lot of lazy writer's crockery: poisoned arrows, blackmail. But let that pass and you find a story every bit worthy of Dorothy Sayers. And at the end, you'll still have a mystery unresolved, one that makes things seem more human than otherwise.

Its not enough, wasn't enough for them to keep making the series, nor me to actually recommend it to you. But pay attention at the beginning to the state of the hurried maid and let that work on you a bit.

Ted's Evaluation -- 2 of 3: Has some interesting elements.