In "The Rising Of The Moon", the third episode of the "Mrs. Bradley Mysteries" series, the production values and the Dianna Rigg - Neil Dudgeon teamwork are at their usual (high) standards, but the story is only mildly engaging. The episode is OK, but not much more than that. The traveling circus milieu, with its weird, secretive, but ultimately rather sympathetic outcasts, makes for an interesting change-of-pace, but the medium-length running time doesn't allow it to be explored nearly enough. This is also both the creepiest (with Mrs. Bradly in actual danger near the end) and the grisliest (there is one shock in particular that is not commonly found in a series of this type) episode so far. **1/2 out of 4.
5 Reviews
The circus comes to town
Tweekums16 February 2012
Warning: Spoilers
When the knife-thrower's assistant is found stabbed to death after a performance Inspector Christmas calls Mrs Bradley thinking she might have more luck getting the travelling circus folk to open up. She does indeed; by showing that she trusts them by letting the knife-thrower to have a go with George! It looks like a fairly open and shut case when items belonging to the dead girl turn up in the knife-thrower's caravan; however Mrs Bradley suspects the wrong man has been arrested; something that is confirmed by a second death. With the murders the local population are keener than ever that the travellers should move on
of course they are assuming the killer is a traveller not one of the villagers.
This was another good episode with a decent number of murders a total one might expect in 'Midsomer' in half the time! The regulars put in a good performance; it was nice to see Peter Davidson's Inspector Christmas get a larger part this time. The guests were good too; it was fun watching the widow played by the excellent Janine Duvitski flirting with poor George, Meera Syal also put in an entertaining performance as the whip-wielding circus leader. If you like English rural murder mysteries I'm sure you'll like this; it has just the right amount of quirkiness needed for the genre.
This was another good episode with a decent number of murders a total one might expect in 'Midsomer' in half the time! The regulars put in a good performance; it was nice to see Peter Davidson's Inspector Christmas get a larger part this time. The guests were good too; it was fun watching the widow played by the excellent Janine Duvitski flirting with poor George, Meera Syal also put in an entertaining performance as the whip-wielding circus leader. If you like English rural murder mysteries I'm sure you'll like this; it has just the right amount of quirkiness needed for the genre.
A light hearted mystery.
Sleepin_Dragon2 May 2020
A travelling Circus arrives in a small Village, and one of its members is found dead, Mrs Bradley is on hand to offer her help to Inspector Christmas.
It's an enjoyable mystery, it isn't intended to be taken too seriously, because it is quite literally the stuff on nonsense, and was written as such, it's very whimsical in tone.
They capture the period incredibly well, with the tone, dialogue and visuals. It looks wonderfully appealing, the sets look great, and the costumes are absolutely amazing, wonderfully on point.
Nice to see Peter Davison have a more meaty part, Janine Duvitski is very funny, she did a great line in these doting spinster types, a mooning character similar to Jane in Waiting for God.
Treat it for what it is, an enjoyable, opulent looking whodunnit. 7/10.
It's an enjoyable mystery, it isn't intended to be taken too seriously, because it is quite literally the stuff on nonsense, and was written as such, it's very whimsical in tone.
They capture the period incredibly well, with the tone, dialogue and visuals. It looks wonderfully appealing, the sets look great, and the costumes are absolutely amazing, wonderfully on point.
Nice to see Peter Davison have a more meaty part, Janine Duvitski is very funny, she did a great line in these doting spinster types, a mooning character similar to Jane in Waiting for God.
Treat it for what it is, an enjoyable, opulent looking whodunnit. 7/10.
'There's no point doing these things half-cock' - A third entry in the Mrs Bradley canon
rhysmann200827 June 2010
Warning: Spoilers
Please ignore the previous reviewer. The Mrs Bradley Mysteries are one of the best 'whodunits' around, and this episode is no exception. When one of the performers at Madame Marlene's travelling circus is murdered, suspicion falls upon another performer who had had an argument with the victim. Delving in further, Mrs Bradley finds some deep, dark secrets...
This episode has a great, slightly darker atmosphere to it, but the humour is retained when George has to have knives thrown at him-all part of Mrs Bradley's slightly unorthodox process of detection. The final scene puts Adela herself in peril, and she makes a rather gruesome discovery in a cauldron... But it is another great episode, and features guests such as the ever-excellent Nicholas Woodeson, Meera Syal and Peter Davison as Inspector Henry Christmas.
As ever, costumes (Mrs B's hats!), music and period detail are brilliant and 1920s to a T. Splendid!
This episode has a great, slightly darker atmosphere to it, but the humour is retained when George has to have knives thrown at him-all part of Mrs Bradley's slightly unorthodox process of detection. The final scene puts Adela herself in peril, and she makes a rather gruesome discovery in a cauldron... But it is another great episode, and features guests such as the ever-excellent Nicholas Woodeson, Meera Syal and Peter Davison as Inspector Henry Christmas.
As ever, costumes (Mrs B's hats!), music and period detail are brilliant and 1920s to a T. Splendid!
Gypped
tedg9 May 2006
Pity the poor scriptwriter given this as a challenge.
Create a Peter Wimsey type, except make her an aged flapper who would have been far ahead of flapperdom. Have her pointedly look at the camera and provide witticisms galore. What folded fun! Have her stumble upon mysteries and pretend she is a detective. In fact, have her be a world famous detective and allow everyone to call her that, but in reality have every step of the mystery be revealed by accident.
In this case, the accident is a suspect who hides in her car and becomes a key witness.
As with the first of the four, have this begin in a folded manner (since scriptwriting school says that's effective). So our thriller begins with a show, one presented by "travellers." The show within melds with the show we are watching when the young woman (the target for the knives), stumbles onto the stage having been killed by a knife.
Be sure to place the female detective in peril at the end, after showing a hugely shocking (for TeeVee) murder.
That's the scriptwriter's challenge. Your challenge, dear reader, is to find better ways to relax.
Ted's Evaluation -- 1 of 3: You can find something better to do with this part of your life.
Create a Peter Wimsey type, except make her an aged flapper who would have been far ahead of flapperdom. Have her pointedly look at the camera and provide witticisms galore. What folded fun! Have her stumble upon mysteries and pretend she is a detective. In fact, have her be a world famous detective and allow everyone to call her that, but in reality have every step of the mystery be revealed by accident.
In this case, the accident is a suspect who hides in her car and becomes a key witness.
As with the first of the four, have this begin in a folded manner (since scriptwriting school says that's effective). So our thriller begins with a show, one presented by "travellers." The show within melds with the show we are watching when the young woman (the target for the knives), stumbles onto the stage having been killed by a knife.
Be sure to place the female detective in peril at the end, after showing a hugely shocking (for TeeVee) murder.
That's the scriptwriter's challenge. Your challenge, dear reader, is to find better ways to relax.
Ted's Evaluation -- 1 of 3: You can find something better to do with this part of your life.
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