By Alex Doust
When Jonathan Creek fist began in 1997, it seemed to be a typical murder mystery type show which is probably why my parents put it on, what they expected was an hour of mystery and gloom, as with most murder mysteries. What they got was an hour and a half of pure genius, with several laughs (not giggles, full on laughs) and a mystery so complex even Sherlock Holmes would have to ask for help.
When Jonathan Creek fist began in 1997, it seemed to be a typical murder mystery type show which is probably why my parents put it on, what they expected was an hour of mystery and gloom, as with most murder mysteries. What they got was an hour and a half of pure genius, with several laughs (not giggles, full on laughs) and a mystery so complex even Sherlock Holmes would have to ask for help.
The show centres on Jonathan Creek, (the hilariously talented Allan Davis) a magicians assistant (a somewhat downbeat title considering he designs all of famous magician Adam Klaus’ tricks). After spending his life studying magic and creating tricks, he can see things other people can’t, he can sees how crimes could be committed in odd ways… So, let’s lead with an example.
A woman leaves her husband, a man with crippling arthritis so bad he can’t hold a glass, she drives away to do some errands. When she gets back, he is gone, a search begins and soon they are taken down to a nuclear shelter built but not completed years before. The shelter is sealed and has to be cut open by the Police, who find the man dead on the floor with a gun next to him. Obviously it would seem that he’d shot himself, given that the room was sealed from the inside, but how could he, when he couldn’t even hold the gun? The answer lies with a blob of cotton wool, a light bulb and a toilet basin… Worked it out yet?
A woman leaves her husband, a man with crippling arthritis so bad he can’t hold a glass, she drives away to do some errands. When she gets back, he is gone, a search begins and soon they are taken down to a nuclear shelter built but not completed years before. The shelter is sealed and has to be cut open by the Police, who find the man dead on the floor with a gun next to him. Obviously it would seem that he’d shot himself, given that the room was sealed from the inside, but how could he, when he couldn’t even hold the gun? The answer lies with a blob of cotton wool, a light bulb and a toilet basin… Worked it out yet?
No? OK, let’s try another. After a confrontation with a drug dealer in an abandoned farmhouse in the middle of nowhere a man is shot in the head, his brain left in pieces. Panicking, the other dealers hide the body in the basement down a flight of stone steps, they close the door and lock it, take the key and push a cabinet in front of it so no one knows the room is there. When paranoia and guilt later brings them to tell the police their story they make their return to the farmhouse and find that the dead body has managed to crawl up a flight of stairs, appearing to have been clawing it’s way out… If you are wondering how this one is done, then look at the football cards strewn along the floor.
Another? An 'Alien' skeleton manages to disappear when in a sealed army van, want to know how it’s done? Look at the nine planets, and one of the nine, which is very cold. One more? A Series of men, staying in a hotel at night, all of whom have died of shock when looking out of the window, apparently in utter terror. Look to the woodworm.
I downright refuse to spoil any of the mysteries for you, but I hope if you’ve not seen Jonathan Creek, that you will find the above intriguing enough to check them out! I guarantee you that you’ll find every episode mystifying! I cannot complement this show enough; it’s because of this show that I decided to become a writer in the first place!
Another? An 'Alien' skeleton manages to disappear when in a sealed army van, want to know how it’s done? Look at the nine planets, and one of the nine, which is very cold. One more? A Series of men, staying in a hotel at night, all of whom have died of shock when looking out of the window, apparently in utter terror. Look to the woodworm.
I downright refuse to spoil any of the mysteries for you, but I hope if you’ve not seen Jonathan Creek, that you will find the above intriguing enough to check them out! I guarantee you that you’ll find every episode mystifying! I cannot complement this show enough; it’s because of this show that I decided to become a writer in the first place!
So it’s Bond Girl time! Well, Creek girl time. Series’ one to three star Caroline Quentin as Maddie Magellan a journalist with a speciality on crime writing, she finds Jonathan and gets him to help solve a mystery for her next book, after realising how good he is, she continues to plague him for help. He comes along, unwillingly, and stubbornly at first, but before long they become the best of friends and very nearly a little more. Maddie is a very funny character, not afraid to do a bit of digging, with a phrase used so often it almost becomes her catchphrase “YOU BASTARD”.
Second Creek girl is Julia Sawalha who plays Carla Borrego, Carla is a very pretty agent when we first see her, but sometime after she lands a role as a television presenter on a crime show, similar to the BBC’s Crimewatch. She runs into Jonathan again when the network producer (Played by Ade Edmondson) calls Jonathan in to help in one of their cases, after a successful outcome they decide to make it a regular thing, forcing Jonathan and Carla to spend more time together.
Second Creek girl is Julia Sawalha who plays Carla Borrego, Carla is a very pretty agent when we first see her, but sometime after she lands a role as a television presenter on a crime show, similar to the BBC’s Crimewatch. She runs into Jonathan again when the network producer (Played by Ade Edmondson) calls Jonathan in to help in one of their cases, after a successful outcome they decide to make it a regular thing, forcing Jonathan and Carla to spend more time together.
Fast forward five years, welcome to 2009 and Jonathan Creek returns after a hiatus, with Julia Sawalha ruled her out as returning due to taking a break from acting, a new actress was brought in. 2009’s The Grinning Man introduced Sheridan Smith as Joey Ross, a psychic investigator who is brought in alongside Jonathan Creek to try and discover why and how people vanished from ‘The Nightmare Room’. Sheridan smith reprised the role a year later for The Judas Tree and the show went on hiatus again. Until, that is, last Monday when Sheridan Smith co-starred once again with Allan Davis in Jonathan Creek: The Clue of the Savants Thumb.
So, one thing left to mention. The comic relief of this series comes from the writer who I’ve avoided mentioning until now, David Renwick (One Foot In the Grave) and let me say, this man knows how to break the tension, the mystery and the drama with humour. In addition to writing plots which have the best crime buffs confused, the man can leave you in stitches! There are comical moments in this series, which I won’t spoil, that will stay with you for your entire life, making you smile when you’re stuck on a tube train and your mind wanders there. So trust me, I am giving this series five stars, if this is the first you have seen of it, get yourself to Amazon and grab yourself the box set, it’s remarkably cheap!
Lastly, It gives me great pleasure to announce something I never thought I would be able to do; I genuinely thought we’d had it for Jonathan Creek, however I’m incredibly thrilled to announce that a 5th series of Jonathan Creek has been commissioned by the BBC, three parts to be filmed in 2013 and aired in early 2014 (estimated). David Renwick has often said how difficult it is writing Creek, and I genuinely did think that The Judas Tree would be the final episode ever made. So now, I am happy!
So, one thing left to mention. The comic relief of this series comes from the writer who I’ve avoided mentioning until now, David Renwick (One Foot In the Grave) and let me say, this man knows how to break the tension, the mystery and the drama with humour. In addition to writing plots which have the best crime buffs confused, the man can leave you in stitches! There are comical moments in this series, which I won’t spoil, that will stay with you for your entire life, making you smile when you’re stuck on a tube train and your mind wanders there. So trust me, I am giving this series five stars, if this is the first you have seen of it, get yourself to Amazon and grab yourself the box set, it’s remarkably cheap!
Lastly, It gives me great pleasure to announce something I never thought I would be able to do; I genuinely thought we’d had it for Jonathan Creek, however I’m incredibly thrilled to announce that a 5th series of Jonathan Creek has been commissioned by the BBC, three parts to be filmed in 2013 and aired in early 2014 (estimated). David Renwick has often said how difficult it is writing Creek, and I genuinely did think that The Judas Tree would be the final episode ever made. So now, I am happy!
Buy Jonathan Creek Complete Series 1 - 4 & The Christmas Specials Box Set [DVD]
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