Customer Reviews

Hetty Wainthropp Investigates: The Complete First Series

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Patricia Routledge shines in this light mystery series, about a kindly ex-housewife who decides she's going to tackle crime. Think Miss Marple, but stouter, more practical, and married. With Derek Benfield and Dominic Monaghan (in his first ever role) backing Routledge up, "Hetty Wainthropp Investigates" is a entertaining and unusual series for mystery buffs.

Hetty Wainthropp (Routledge) is not happy when she turns sixty -- not only are people congratulating her about joining the "club" of senior citizens. So she decides to make something of the latter half of life, and get a job at the post office. She manages to nab a shoplifter, Geoffrey Shawcross (Dominic Monaghan), who works as a cashier. Rather than turn in the teenager, she asks him to help her solve a crime. And so the Wainthropp Detective Agency is born.

The first season includes plenty of colorful mysteries, including a deaf-mute man who vanishes while waiting for a mail-order bride, the Mafia, old friends asking for help, and possible satanic practices. Hetty's insights into human nature (along with the help from her husband and adopted nephew) help her figure out the various mysteries.

This is not heavy-duty mystery. A few bits are mildly gruesome (a restauranteur gets sent an index finger), but the stories are light and sweet, and dosed with lots of coincidence and more-than-average doses of humor, such as poor Geoffrey dressing in drag, complete with blonde wig. That said, it is a very fun series -- just don't take it too deadly seriously.

The entire show has a sort of slow-paced, cozy feel, from the little house that Hetty and Robert live in, to the sight of Geoffrey riding a stolen bike. But it can turn dark quite quickly. The level of coincidence in these mysteries is high, lowering the complexity of the stories. It is entertaining and colorful, though.

Routledge gives a good performance as the grandmotherly Hetty, a lady of a certain age who doesn't want to just sit at home and knit, and who seems as at home checking out mysterious deaths as baking cookies. Dominic Monaghan gives an even more solid performance as the teenage sidekick Geoffrey, and is backed up by Derek Benfield as Hetty's likable husband Robert.

Perfect for curling up on a rainy day, under a blanket with a cup of something hot. "Hetty Wainthropp Investigates" makes up for its lack of mysterious prowess by being so enchantingly down-to-earth and cozy.

What's not to like about Hetty Wainthropp? While it's true the sleuthing jobs that come her way concern less than complex matters (on the surface at least), like Georges Simeon, she is seeking the psychological answer or the rationale for the behavior behind the `crimes' she investigates. Another reviewer suggested this series was "boring", but I say it is anything but. Perhaps that reviewer is a very young person, who does not yet understand, as Eliza Bennett's father noted long ago, that other people ARE what make life interesting.

Oh don't get me wrong, I am as big a fan of Miss Marple as the next mystery lover, and Hetty is not untangling Marple-type mysteries, even though like Marple she often finds herself investigating the local behavior in a village in England. Rather, Hetty is exploring the interconnections of people's lives in order to ascertain just how and why someone did something despicable to someone else.

We join Hetty in the first episode, the day she turns 60. Feeling the financial pinch brought about when her husband Robert was made redundant (the British phrase for `layed off') and emotionally flat, Hetty decides she needs to do something to restart her life. Like many older women in her predicament, Hetty decides to take a job -- as the local post mistress, where she encounters a young lad (Dominic Monaghan from the Rings films) with sticky fingers. She apprehends the thief, but rather than turn him in to the authorities, she gets an idea. He is broke and she is broke. Suppose she uses his obvious talents to create her own investigative business?

This DVD includes only the episodes from the first season. I have watched them all on PBS --many of them several times. I found these stories entertaining, and somewhat intriguing the first time and appreciated them more for their local color and character development the second and third time. I bought the DVDs because I intend to watch them again and again. One of the advantages of getting older is that you tend to forget some things like plot and story line, and can experience tv episodes as new again. These are definitely films for `old dears' like me. I can hardly wait until they release the other series. A great way to help your grandmother improve her English.

PS. You gotta love Patricia Routledge. She is Wainthropp instead of Winthrop and Bouquet instead of Bucket.

I was curious about this series. I had only heard about it and had never seen a broadcast. So I was skeptical. But I had enjoyed the Mrs. Bradley Mysteries and others who had enjoyed those had suggested these. I am so glad I took the plunge. Hetty is an absolutely fabulous character who refuses to take a back seat at the age of 60. Determined to "matter," she forges ahead and finds herself in the middle of a mystery. Before she knows it, she's taking on investigations as a profession, with a young man whom she turns from a latent shoplifter into a crack investigator's partner. Patricia Routeledge is thoroughly believable and adorable in the role. I am looking forward to the next set of DVD's on this series. I must say, it's refreshing to see a late 20th Century mystery (as opposed to the usual Golden Age era) that is more logic puzzle than CSI. These days there's far too much forensics and far too little charm!

The British are known for their dry wit and off-the-wall humor. This series is no exception. Some of the dialogue is so hilarious and would never work if Americans had attempted this show.
Hetty is a newly-turned 60 year old that decides she wants to count in society. So what to do? Start a detective agency! That's what any other sane person would do, no?
She employs a would be shoplifter as her sidekick ("Sexton Blake had his Tinkerbell and so shall I!" 'Tinkerbell was a FAIRY!' "Be that as it may, you're elected!" ~Classic Hetty and Geoffrey dialogue); a 17 year old boy named Geoffrey, played by 18 year old Dominic Monaghan.
The first season of "Hetty" includes 6 episodes (1st ep is 1 hour and 13 mins, all other eps are a little bit short of 50 minutes), an interview with Patricia Routledge (24 mins and 6 secs) that was kinda boring as the interviewer asked pretty dull and uninsightful questions. If you want to hear about Dom, you need only watch the first 5 minutes or so. Also included is a smallish photo gallery.
The final episode leaves us wanting more "Hetty", and hopefully with the success of the sales of this Season (along with Dom's success on his new show on ABC, "LOST") there will be all 4 seasons made available to us.
So, if you are like me and are buying this for Dom's involvement, never fear. He's in almost every scene. It is well worth the cost. But you may find that you would have liked this show regardless, as it is a brilliant series.
I highly recommend this series to everyone! (Although not for children as there are some scenes and language innapropriate for them.)
Jeannette
ETA: Acording to an Acorn Media Sales Rep, The Second Series will be out August 9th! (Changed from the 16th) Of course, date is subject to change, but there you have it!

I'd say this series one collection is rather a mixed bag. There's an overall cosy tone to the series, and the chemistry between feisty, old Hetty (the always wonderful Routledge) and young Geoffrey (Dominic Monaghan, with charm to spare) is excellent. The pilot episode, which is half-again as long as the other episodes, is the best, because it's the one that concentrates most strongly on these appealing characters. It also doesn't hurt that it has a more intricate (and wild!) mystery. The next-strongest episodes in this collection are Fingers, about a seeming Mafia kidnapping, and Widdershins, about possible satanic goings-on in an English village. The latter even manages to make some good points about problems of the elderly. But the other three episodes veer into heavy social problem melodrama that ill suits the cosy format of the show. One of these episodes is the much-maligned one with the deaf-mute character. This one is just a total mess, and features much too little of Hetty and Geoffrey. Not much better is an episode about a schizophrenic man. It's definitely on the dark and depressing side. The last episode in this collection deals with a pyromaniac. Hetty solves the problem through an incredibly improbable coincidence. So much for the little grey cells! Worse, the problems of a teenager with an illegitimate child are a major theme of the show, but they are never adequately addressed. This is one disturbed girl, who allows herself to be picked up by a middle-aged man interested in sado-masochism (a creepy scene sadly played for Benny Hill style laughs), but the final scene implies that she will live happily ever after. I was not convinced. I suppose it's admirable that the series wanted to deal with serious social ills, but I think they bit off more than Hetty, who is definitely in the Miss Marple mold, could chew. Hopefully there will be episodes in the second collection that are less schizphrenic and have undiluted cosy appeal. Since this series probably owes its revival to Dom fans, let me just add that, whatever you think of the series, you won't be disappointed with Dom. His star appeal is readily apparent here, several years before Lord of the Rings began to film.

The Hetty Wainthroop Series is a very special treat for my Wife and I. We lived in England for six years with the United States Air Force and truly appreciate English productions. Patricia Routledge is an outstanding actress and this particular series truly brings out the best in her career----a great investment!

The characters and plots are all really good. A good series to watch and to own. The opening title scene has got to be one of the best. You also get the bonus features including an interview with Patricia Routledge and more.

I saw this on PBS a couple of times. Being a great fan of Patricia Routledge in Keeping Up Appearances, I thought she was awesome in this series. Shows her ability as a great actress and that she can be both comical and serious. Her role as Hetty is captivating and I never tire of watching the episodes over and over again. I highly recommend this DVD to anyone!

Hetty is a delight in solving crime. These short movies were fun to watch and not so easy to solve yourself. These are a must see for mystery lovers at all ages.

This is an excellent product because of 1] excellent casting, 2] plausible plots and intriguing settings.