Show Notes
Morse, Vera or Prime Suspect — who is Britain’s greatest TV detective? TV Insiders Jimmy Mulville and Peter Fincham rank the best British detectives, from Inspector Morse and Prime Suspect to Poirot, Sherlock, Midsomer Murders, The Sweeney and more…
In this episode: Whether Ludwig could eventually join the great British detective pantheon Why Helen Mirren’s Jane Tennison remains one of television’s strongest detectives Brenda Blethyn’s defining performance as Vera Stanhope David Suchet’s iconic Hercule Poirot Benedict Cumberbatch and Steven Moffat’s modern Sherlock Why A Touch of Frost doesn’t compare with the rest of the list The Sweeney, John Thaw and the difference between action-led policing and puzzle-solving How Midsomer Murders replaced John Nettles with Neil Dudgeon Why Bergerac gives John Nettles two iconic TV detectives The strange appeal of Van der Valk’s canals and Dutch names Why a great detective does not need to be likeable The “eureka” moment that makes detective dramas so reassuring Why the best mysteries were often 90 minutes long How ITV is the home of the great detectives
Have a question, opinion or suggestion? Leave a comment on YouTube, find us on socials @InsidersTVPod, or email us at [email protected].
If you enjoyed the episode, please like, subscribe and share the podcast with a friend — it really helps us grow.
Chapters 00:00 Intro and rules 01:21 Could Ludwig become a classic detective? 03:37 Ranking begins with Hercule Poirot 06:38 Sherlock Holmes and Benedict Cumberbatch 07:52 A Touch of Frost 11:14 The Sweeney 13:10 Miss Marple 13:39 Midsomer Murders and the Barnaby succession 17:37 Van der Valk 18:39 Vera and Brenda Blethyn 22:40 Inspector Morse 25:47 Prime Suspect and Helen Mirren 27:43 Bergerac
#BritishTV #BritishDetectives #DetectiveShows #InspectorMorse #Morse #Vera #PrimeSuspect #HelenMirren #BrendaBlethyn #JohnThaw #Sherlock #BenedictCumberbatch #Poirot #DavidSuchet #MidsomerMurders #Ludwig #DavidMitchell #TheSweeney #Bergerac #VanDerValk #CrimeDrama #ITV #BBC #BritishTelevision #TVPodcast #InsidersTV
Jimmy Mulville is the co-founder and Chief Executive of Hat Trick Productions. His list of hit shows includes Have I Got News for You, Father Ted, Derry Girls, Outnumbered and Episodes. In the US, Hat Trick launched Whose Line Is It Anyway? in 1997, which ran on ABC for seven years and was the first British series to be recreated for American network television by a British producer.
Peter Fincham ran TalkBack, where he executive produced many of their biggest shows, including I’m Alan Partridge, Never Mind the Buzzcocks and Da Ali G Show. He went on to be Controller of BBC1, then Director of Television at ITV, before returning to the independent sector as co-CEO of Expectation, the company behind Clarkson’s Farm and Alma’s Not Normal.
New episodes every Friday. YouTube: @insiderstvpodcast Email: [email protected] Instagram: @InsidersTVPod Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
More from Insiders: The TV Podcast
Monty Python’s Flying Circus, The Benny Hill Show or Morecambe & Wise — what is Britain’s greatest sketch show? TV Insiders Jimmy Mulville and Peter Fincham rank the best British sketch shows, from That Mitchell and Webb Look and The Two Ronnies to The Fast Show, Spitting Image, French & Saunders, Goodness Gracious Me! and more…
The Traitors almost went to Costa Rica with bikinis and hot tubs with BBC editorial policy suggested avoiding the words “murder” and “kill”.
TV Insiders Peter Fincham and Jimmy Mulville discuss proposed cuts to BBC Three and BBC Scotland, the extraordinary success of The Traitors, Channel 4’s new programming structure and the possible impact on British comedy. They also remember Esther Rantzen and the unforgettable television moment involving Nicholas Winton.
TV Insiders Peter Fincham and Jimmy Mulville debate the BBC’s decision to remove potentially offensive sketches from That Mitchell and Webb Look, asking whether modern comedy can still break taboos without being censored. They also discuss Trump TV & press freedom, Strictly Come Dancing and why some television formats survive their stars.
Is the Harry Potter series arriving too soon? TV insiders Peter Fincham and Jimmy Mulville examine why HBO is returning to Hogwarts, whether the original films are still impossible to replace, and what other big issues face the Harry Potter TV show.