What do Gene Shalit, Vincent Price and Diana Rigg have in common? They all served as hosts of the long-running PBS series, "Mystery!"
As a fanatic "Mystery!" fan I can't wait to spend my Sunday evenings, after the kids have gone to bed, glued to the small screen.
Last week, Scottish actor Alan Cumming debuted in the role as host of the recently renamed "Masterpiece Mystery!" Cumming, who won a Tony Award for his role as the Emcee in Broadway's "Cabaret," will be recognized by viewers for his work both on stage and the big screen.
Along with a new host comes an amazing new season of "Masterpiece Mystery!" Highlights from this season include the new "Inspector Lewis" series starring Kevin Whately, formerly of the incredibly popular "Inspector Morse" series. Be sure and tune in this Sunday night at 9 for episode two. In July, "Masterpiece Mystery!" will present the final three episodes of the World War II series, "Foyle's War," starring Michael Kitchen as Detective Chief Superintendent Christopher Foyle.
Then in August, "The Inspector Lynley Mysteries," starring Nathaniel Parker as the blue-blooded inspector, returns for a seventh and final run on "Masterpiece Mystery!" But don't despair: there's more Lynley to come. Viewers can look forward to reruns of "The Inspector Lynley Mysteries" in late August and September.
What makes PBS the best place to go for British crime thrillers? Is it the first-rate acting, the lush locations or the dazzling costumes?
For me, it is all of these things, which is why I've been tuning in for so long. I have vivid memories of watching Jeremy Brett in "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, Series One" many years ago with my mother. And even though I'm a longtime fan of the series, I still eagerly anticipate each new season of thrillers. Are you a fan of "Masterpiece Mystery!?" What's your favorite "Mystery!" series?
"Inspector Lewis: Old School Ties" airs this Sunday night at 9 on Rocky Mountain PBS. Without giving away too much of the plot, the storyline goes like this: Assigned to chaperone a celebrity criminal on his controversial visit to Oxford, Inspector Lewis thinks the assignment is a waste of time. Soon, though, two people are dead, and Lewis and his sidekick, Hathaway, have their hands full.
I hope you'll join us this Sunday night for "Masterpiece Mystery!"
Gail, guest blogger
P.S. Did you catch "Traces of the Trade: A Story from the Deep North" on Tuesday? Join the discussion on Panorama.
