Watching the detectives

There is something very comforting about  whodunnits.  Unlike real life, there are never any unsolved mysteries or loose ends; the murderer is properly unmasked, scooby-doo fashion, at the end; and the whole thing is a gentle exercise for the old brain cells as we get to play along, working out clues and chasing red herrings. They’re the televion equivalent of toast: warm, cosy, and easy to digest. A whole host of detective series is available on DVD in libraries now, including a pretty hefty set of Miss Marple that would make an admirable murder weapon in itself.

Morse

Good old Morse: the jag, the crosswords, the ale, the classical music, and of course the long-suffering Lewis. Brilliant!

A Touch of Frost 

D.I. Jack Frost solves crimes the oldfashioned way, while battling with bureaucracy incarnate in the form of his boss, Superintendent Mullet.

Foyle’s War

D.I. Foyle, and his two assistants, Sam and Milner, solve not just the usual murders but also crimes involving profiteering and the black market, relevant to the WWII setting. Great props and costumes, very authentic.

Midsomer Murders  

The chocolatebox-pretty county  of Midsomer is somewhat overrun with gruesome crime, and by this stage there can’t be many villagers left. Nonetheless, Inspector Barnaby and his various sidekicks manage in each episode to find another body and another murderer.