The Mrs. Bradley Mysteries - Series 1 (Speedy Death / The Mrs. Bradley Mysteries)

Starring:Diana Rigg, Neil Dudgeon, John Alderton, Lynda Baron, Emma Fielding, Simeon Andrews, Tom Butcher, Tyler Butterworth, John Conroy (II), Emma Davies, Sue Devaney, Tristan Gemmill, Andrew Hallett, Roger Grainger, Alec Linstead, Carmela Marner, William Oxborrow, Russell Tovey, Eleanor Tremain, Michael Troughton
Director: Audrey Cooke
Studio: Wgbh Boston
Product Type: DVD

Editorial Review:
Amazon.com
This free adaptation of Gladys Mitchell's classic crime novel Speedy Death as a vehicle for a full-blooded performance by Diana Rigg as the louche 1920s analyst Mrs. Bradley is a splendid piece of period drama with an intriguing puzzle at its heart. Mrs. Bradley attends the engagement party of her crippled goddaughter Eleanor, only to find the home of her old beau, Eleanor's father Bing (John Alderson), a hotbed of intrigue and sudden death. Eleanor's unsatisfactory fiancé Everard is found drowned in the bath after quarrelling with the former suitor whose bad driving crippled Eleanor; someone tries to shoot the fiancée of Eleanor's brother Gorde. Full of memorable characters like the sinister housekeeper Mrs. McNamara (Lynda Baron), Speedy Death is an impressive feature-length curtain-raiser to a popular series. For once, a detective has to investigate a crime where she has something seriously at stake--her sense of her own past and her own friends. --Roz Kaveney

Diana Riggs glides through The Mrs. Bradley Mysteries like a true grand dame. Set in 1920s England, this mystery series wallows in swank cars, jaunty tunes, well-cut clothes, and extravagant hats--and every so often, Riggs turns to the camera and delivers sardonic observations with a wicked purr. Aided by her chauffer George Moody (Neil Dudgeon), scandalous divorcie Mrs. Bradley (Riggs) solves murders with her keen observations and psychological insight (along with a little pickpocketing and genteel extortion). Saucy storylines abound: Death at the Opera mixes lesbianism at a girls' school with a bread-slicing machine; The Rising of the Moon features knife-throwers, dwarves, and a hall of mirrors; in Laurels Are Poison, ghosts kill with poison-tipped arrows; and in The Worsted Viper, the revival of an ancient virgin-sacrificing cult threatens Moody's own daughter. The mysteries are more stylish than fair in their presentation of clues; anyone looking for a puzzle to solve will be frustrated as crucial information is withheld until after Mrs. Bradley has brought the villain to justice. But the heart of the show is the delightful rapport between Rigg and Dudgeon, which will win over any fan of British mysteries. --Bret Fetzer
Description
Emmy® Award-winner Diana Rigg (Rebecca, The Avengers) stars as stylish and outspoken sleuth Mrs. Adela Bradley in these sophisticated 1920s whodunit filled with blackmail, a shooting and plenty of devious twists and turns. Mrs. Bradley is a well-traveled, well-appointed divorcée who dabbles in psychoanalysis and murder investigations. Assisted by her devoted chauffeur and confidant George Moody (Neil Dudgeon), Mrs. Bradley solves the most complicated crimes with a sly combination of charm, intelligence, and wit. In this set of five scintillating mysteries based on the novels by Gladys Mitchell, she gets the lowdown on the upper crust. Includes: Speedy Death, Death at the Opera; The Rising of the Moon; Laurels Are Poison; and The Worsted Viper.

Special DVD features include: virtual tour of the Mystery! studio; selected filmographies; selected cast list; biography for Diana Rigg, star of Mrs. Bradley and host of Mystery!; link to the Mystery! Web site; scene selections; closed captions; and described video for the visually impaired.

Amazon.com

This free adaptation of Gladys Mitchell's classic crime novel Speedy Death as a vehicle for a full-blooded performance by Diana Rigg as the louche 1920s analyst Mrs. Bradley is a splendid piece of period drama with an intriguing puzzle at its heart. Mrs. Bradley attends the engagement party of her crippled goddaughter Eleanor, only to find the home of her old beau, Eleanor's father Bing (John Alderson), a hotbed of intrigue and sudden death. Eleanor's unsatisfactory fiancé Everard is found drowned in the bath after quarrelling with the former suitor whose bad driving crippled Eleanor; someone tries to shoot the fiancée of Eleanor's brother Gorde. Full of memorable characters like the sinister housekeeper Mrs. McNamara (Lynda Baron), Speedy Death is an impressive feature-length curtain-raiser to a popular series. For once, a detective has to investigate a crime where she has something seriously at stake--her sense of her own past and her own friends. --Roz Kaveney

Diana Riggs glides through The Mrs. Bradley Mysteries like a true grand dame. Set in 1920s England, this mystery series wallows in swank cars, jaunty tunes, well-cut clothes, and extravagant hats--and every so often, Riggs turns to the camera and delivers sardonic observations with a wicked purr. Aided by her chauffer George Moody (Neil Dudgeon), scandalous divorcie Mrs. Bradley (Riggs) solves murders with her keen observations and psychological insight (along with a little pickpocketing and genteel extortion). Saucy storylines abound: Death at the Opera mixes lesbianism at a girls' school with a bread-slicing machine; The Rising of the Moon features knife-throwers, dwarves, and a hall of mirrors; in Laurels Are Poison, ghosts kill with poison-tipped arrows; and in The Worsted Viper, the revival of an ancient virgin-sacrificing cult threatens Moody's own daughter. The mysteries are more stylish than fair in their presentation of clues; anyone looking for a puzzle to solve will be frustrated as crucial information is withheld until after Mrs. Bradley has brought the villain to justice. But the heart of the show is the delightful rapport between Rigg and Dudgeon, which will win over any fan of British mysteries. --Bret Fetzer

Description

Emmy® Award-winner Diana Rigg (Rebecca, The Avengers) stars as stylish and outspoken sleuth Mrs. Adela Bradley in these sophisticated 1920s whodunit filled with blackmail, a shooting and plenty of devious twists and turns. Mrs. Bradley is a well-traveled, well-appointed divorcée who dabbles in psychoanalysis and murder investigations. Assisted by her devoted chauffeur and confidant George Moody (Neil Dudgeon), Mrs. Bradley solves the most complicated crimes with a sly combination of charm, intelligence, and wit. In this set of five scintillating mysteries based on the novels by Gladys Mitchell, she gets the lowdown on the upper crust. Includes: Speedy Death, Death at the Opera; The Rising of the Moon; Laurels Are Poison; and The Worsted Viper.

On three DVD5 discs. Region coding: All regions. Audio: Dolby stereo. Screen format: Letterboxed.

DVD:

DVD

DVD

DVD

Fire Down Below

Legends of Wimbledon: John McEnroe : DVD

A Star Is Born - 2 Disc Special Edition [1954]

DVD: Sex in Chains

Wien