Customer Reviews

Campion - Death of a Ghost

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Once again, BBC outdoes its self with adapting books to TV. This time it is with a Margery Allingham mystery, Camion. Screenplay by Elaine Morgan.

Peter Davison as Albert Campion and his faithful companion Brian Glover as Magersfontein Lugg are so good in this 1989 TV series that even when you read the book you think of them. The story is abbreviated and takes a little time to get off the ground; however first time through the program you will notice some standard ploys as a person confessing that has a good chance of actually being the culprit (how many times have we seen this?) By the second viewing, you see the clues that you missed, and you are hooked.

In this installment, Lugg (Brian Glover) gets a peripheral part, which is disappointing. Campion is present for an unveiling of a painting form the deceased artist. Suddenly the lights go out and someone is dispatched; however, this is not the mystery.

Soon the secondary artist that was dispatched is being forgotten as all his paintings are disappearing. What is this, a nefarious plot by some cabal and to what end? Alternatively, are we just paranoid?

My favorite scene is when the lights come on and Rosa (Carole Ruggier) exclaims "Santa Maria"
I could almost hear her saying "Jesus, Mary and Joseph"

Once again, BBC outdoes its self with adapting books to TV. This time it is with a Margery Allingham mystery, Camion. Screenplay by Elaine Morgan.

Peter Davison as Albert Campion and his faithful companion Brian Glover as Magersfontein Lugg are so good in this 1989 TV series that even when you read the book you think of them. The story is abbreviated and takes a little time to get off the ground; however first time through the program you will notice some standard ploys as a person confessing that has a good chance of actually being the culprit (how many times have we seen this?) By the second viewing, you see the clues that you missed, and you are hooked.

In this installment, Lugg (Brian Glover) gets a peripheral part, which is disappointing. Campion is present for an unveiling of a painting form the deceased artist. Suddenly the lights go out and someone is dispatched; however, this is not the mystery.

Soon the secondary artist that was dispatched is being forgotten as all his paintings are disappearing. What is this, a nefarious plot by some cabal and to what end? Alternatively, are we just paranoid?

My favorite scene is when the lights come on and Rosa (Carole Ruggier) exclaims "Santa Maria"
I could almost hear her saying "Jesus, Mary and Joseph"



Campion - The Complete First Season

In addition to the annotated biography and filmography (presented as text/lists), the Special Features on the disc includes a wonderful featurette, on the order of 'the making of...' The introduction to the 25 minute item, is this card: "'See For Yourself' is a BBC series that shows how the BBC puts license payer's money to use. BBC is funded by a tax (called the license fee) on each television household in the UK." "The following is an excerpt from an episode [of "See For Yourself"] that originally aired in the UK on January 8, 1989." For years, I've been a fan of Inspector Lynley, and of Peter Davison in his newer series "The Last Detective" and I can almost believe the costs which are quoted in the featurette. Do recall, that the cost is quoted in the year 1989. It is said that drama shows cost the most to produce, costing (in Pounds, Sterling) 408,000 per hour (i.e. 6,800 per minute). <Gee, I thought the costs for buying our own copies of the discs, was helping in a tiny way to pay back the production costs. Well maybe so, but in a way even smaller than an eyedropper against an ocean.> I will happily continue to enjoy all the recordings which I am able to put into hand.

I thought this was kind of boring at the beginning. The art theme just didn't grab me. I think it got more interesting towards the end, but it was a while ago that I watched this (borrowed it from the library). Well, I guess there's probably a boring episode or two in every series; we can't love all of them. I own the complete second season of Campion and I enjoyed those episodes more.