Product Description

From the golden age of the British mystery comes a hard-working Scotland Yard detective whose breeding and bearing give him unique access to the fashionable world in which these stories are set. New Zealand writer Ngaio Marsh created elegant crime-puzzlers full of quirky characters with hidden agendas, all brought meticulously to life in this series. The keen intelligence and subtle persistence of Chief Inspector Alleyn, Partick Malahide (The Singing Detective), are complemented by the insight of his independent lady friend, artist Agatha Troy, Belinda Lang (To Serve Them All My Days) and the loyalty of his partner, Detective Inspector Fox, William Simons (Cribb). Special Features include: Ngaio Marsh Biography, Cast Filmographies, Subtitling and A Picture Gallery.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1919 in DVD
• Released on: 2007-05-14
• Rating: Suitable for 12 years and over
• Format: PAL
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 4
• Running time: 720 minutes

Customer Reviews

Classic TV
I first bought both US box sets of this classic BBC series, and rejoiced to find them finally released here in the UK ( Why do the Americans get our tv series on DVD long before us ??) I have now bought them again, purely because I love watching them so much, and prefer to view without the shudder and jerks inherent when viewing region 1 discs on a multi region player. I have read all of Ngaio Marsh's novels over the years(and re-read many of them too)and I was always totally impressed by this classy BBC series. I only wished they had filmed more ! I can't agree with the reviewer who describes Patrick Malahide as a 'Tony Blair' lookalike, I've always thought of him as a very good Alleyn, and I also think that whoever was the ghost painter for Agatha Troy was excellent - certainly evidenced in the episodes 'Hand in Glove' and 'Final Curtain'.
My only complaint of this box set is that the packaging is useless - nowhere does the box set list the episodes, not even on the discs themselves, leaving an almost pot luck element as to which episodes are about to come up on screen. I would also have liked to have the pilot episode included, 'Artists in Crime' , which although featured Simon Williams in the title role, would have been a very welcome addition.
Any one who enjoyed the BBC 'Miss Marple' series featuring Joan Hickson from the 1980s, will probably enjoy this series too - it is produced by many of the same people.
So, I would rate the films five stars, the packaging one star !, but please don't let the packaging put anyone off - the films are superbly written, acted and produced, and the price of the box set is very good value for money.

If time hangs heavy...
If you enjoy Ngaio Marsh and television detectives you are advised to avoid this series. The character of Alleyn is unrecognizable from the novels: it is hard find Marsh's tall, dark, handsome, deep-voiced Chief Inspector in the pint-sized, balding, squawking Tony Blair look-alike presented in these programmes. Add to this cardinal flaw a musical score reminiscent of Scooby Doo and an Agatha Troy who can't draw for toffee and you have a recipe for disaster. The series suffers also from a fixed idea that 'old cars means it's old times' which gives certain scenes all the allure of a Classic Car Rally & Autojumble. Enjoy! Enjoy!.... if time is really hangs that heavy on your hands!

one episode missing
An excellent series well worth buying although the region 2 set has come a little late for me as i purchased the region 1 sets last year!
HOWEVER - I seem to remember the pilot episode as bing Artists in Crime with Simon Williams playing the part of Inspector Alleyn?
This was not on the region 1 set and does not look as though it's on the region 2 set either. Pity as it was a good episode for a pilot.