Thursday 14 March 2024

I Don't Believe It!

We watched the Marlow Murder Club. I was so looking forward to this. I knew it came under the 'cosy crime' category - like Midsomer, and Death in Paradise, Rosemary and Thyme et al, and the author, Robert Thorogood, wrote some episodes of D in P. Cosy crime is people getting bumped off, but always with a bizarre underlying thread of humour involved.  I was expecting all that.
But honestly, I found it really disappointing. Samuel Taylor Coleridge coined the phrase suspension of disbelief  meaning our willingness to believe the unbelievable for the sake of enjoyment. 
Too many things in this programme were just utterly unbelievable. 
These comments are not plot spoilers
I may not be an Anglican but there are a few things I know - one is that bishops are not expected to wear their mitres outside of liturgical situations. Squashed in between two women in the front seat of a van is definitely not a liturgical situation.
Also, no clergy spouse that I know off would be able to rootle about in a drawer at church and succeed in finding a knife sharp enough to saw through a bell rope. Bell ropes are 2" thick and very strong. Most accessible knives in the church kitchen are unlikely to cut much more than butter. [If there are truly sharp ones, the catering team keeps them under lock and key]
But the worst bit of the whole thing, for us both, was ignoring the laws of physics. If your car is parked next to a street sign like this


then its reflection in your windscreen will be like this below [not as shown above]


I know this is incredibly pedantic, but Bob and I found it really jarring watching the driver of the car talking on her phone with the erroneous non-reflection onscreen in front of her. It was really just careless editing on somebody's part. 
I have not read the book, but a few reviewers have said the book is much better, because the TV adaptation introduced some really clunky dialogue, and that the book would have suited a slower four-part adaptation better. Author Robert Thorogood has written two more books in the series, so I shall try and read them before Samantha Bond and her pals come back to our screens. 
I know lots of friends really enjoyed this whodunit - please don't be put off by my review! 
At least Death in Paradise is still there, and the spinoff [Beyond Paradise] from Cornwall is coming back soon...

23 comments:

  1. Maybe you should write to the producers and point out the mistakes! I don't watch cozy crime or mysteries, so, I won't be watching this series, either. :)

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    1. I don't think they'd be interested. Most people have enjoyed the show without even noticing...

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  2. DinP is great! I only started watching it last year- CBC and I are working our way through the episodes on iPlayer whilst we eat our dinner. My old work colleague Fiona left to publish cosy crime with her husband and son- they're doing well! Which channel is this on? I might give it a go even though you're not convinced! Kxx

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  3. We were about to give this a try last evening when we realised we only had the second part available - not too worried now, I've had my suspicions about this , I'm always yelling at the telly ' that is highly unlikely/improbable/ impossible ' etc etc....... we were watching trial and retribution last night and there was a scene with a senior doctor flying around a children's ward doing a ward round on his own..... rapping out ridiculous platitudes......Sorry rant over 🤣🤣🤣
    Alison in Wales x

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    1. Glad to know that other people shout at the TV too

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  4. I agree with your review about it being clunky although I didn’t notice the reflection error. I worked out the plot in DIP last Friday very quickly which is not like me! Catriona

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  5. I thought I was the only one who notices all the silly mistakes like that in shows. I've not seen this one, but Dan and I love Midsomer Murders and other mysteries like that.

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    1. British "cosy crime" goes down really well in the USA, doesn't it. I wonder why

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    2. I know I like it because it's generally not so graphic with the violence. A bit more subtle without showing all the gruesomeness. Plus they do a fairly good job of developing characters.

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  6. Do write to them, they do need to know about mistakes. It would annoy me intensely to see these errors, but I dont watch that particular programme.

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    1. I mentioned an error in a radio 4 sitcom on this blog once - and the writer subsequently complained on HIS blog about "a pedantic clergyman's wife"!

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  7. We have loved Death in Paradise and wonder what will happen next when Neville goes back to the UK! I hope the series continues. It's about as scary and taxing as we can manage!
    We will watch the Marlow Murder Club and no doubt be just as annoyed about the annoying mistakes!
    That, however, is if we still have a TV after we have finished watching the series about the elitist idiot Boris Johnson and have managed not to throw something at it!

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    1. I didn't watch the BoJo thing. It would have angered me too much

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  8. I'm sure someone will write to the Radio Times highlighting these 'discrepancies'. When I used to watch CSI with my son, with a degree and a Masters in forensic science, he would always point out all the 'mistakes' and anomalies in the show. Alan is almost as bad with anything navy, nuclear or engineering related. Sometimes I like to watch alone and be able to suspend all disbelief for a while, other times I want facts and give up half way through a show. We are both loving Death in Paradise at the moment, and wondering if we really will have a new main detective for the next series.

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    1. I heard rumours about one of the previous guys coming back. Who knows?

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  9. That's me with medical and operating room shows after my nursing career!!

    We do love Midsome murders and do wonder why on earth anyone would live in Midsomer!

    Hugs!

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    1. There's a village near here called Cawston, fortunately not as violent as the one in MM

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  10. I think British cozies are popular here in the USA because they're the only ones available. US mysteries on tv are violent, people getting shot, fighting and abused. They're exhausting to watch, so I never do. I love Din P. I hope it continues. I've not heard of the one you reviewed.

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    1. Yes, your shows [Law&Order, CSI etc do have lots of blood and violence]

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  11. Sorry to hear that this new series is messed up in parts. I suppose one must be thankful if there is no bad language? (I hope). I love DinP and Midsomer Murders, Father Brown and Poirot. As for the bishop dressed up while sitting in the van, I am not surprised. I have watched with dismay over the years, clergy of every denomination portrayed in negative or unbelievable ways, often as either evil or stupid! Perhaps Father Brown series is the only tolerable portrayal as his good heart comes through.

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  12. Bad language seems to be on the increase sadly. You are right about Father Brown [but I think they have a real priest advising the production crew]

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