I'm a fan of Patricia Routledge from her days as Hyacinth Bucket on KEEPING UP APPEARANCES. I knew she had a knack for comedy so I wanted to see her in a drama. I was eager to see HETTY WAINTHROPP INVESTIGATES. The Complete Second Series was inexpensive so I started with that series. No doubt Series One would explain why the teenage Geoffrey Shawcross is living with Hetty and her husband Robert and how Hetty got so well-known as a private investigator.
The first two episodes of Series 2 were POISON PEN and LOST CHORDS were painstakingly slow moving and dull. In POISON PEN, people in a small village are getting very nasty anonymous letters and in LOST CHORDS, finalists in a singing competition are mysteriously losing their voices. Not very exciting stuff. Production values at times seemed low. It felt like a very low budget TV production.
The good news is things picked up with the third episode NOT ALL THERE. A man and woman with learning disabilities have run off together for holiday and they end up in a lonely cottage with a big secret. The episode was tastefully down and treated the two people with dignity and respect. Now my interest was caught. Here was a story that was fresh and different
ASTRAL PLANE allows Hetty to investigate a psychic? Is she for real or just eating up the savings of lonely pensioners. In A ROSE BY ANY OTHER NAME, is the mysterious photographer of mature women out for their fortunes? Finally in episode 6, Hetty investigates the death of a woman who had been living in a home for abused women.
For the most part the stories are very basic and the writing is inspired. Hetty is no Miss Marple but is fun to watch Hetty investigating investigating what may or may not be a crime. It's hard not to think of Hetty as a toned-down Hyacinth Bucket in her best dresses, capes and hat.
The real charm here is the relationship between Hetty and Geoffrey played by a teenage Dominic Monaghan (LORD OF THE RINGS and LOST). The talent in this young actor is very clear and he follows his role with fun and enthusiasm. Geoffrey has great facial features and he learns to be a detective--an idispensable aid to Hetty.
Hetty's husband Robert helps as rather inept investigator. His role seems unnecessary. It's the Hetty and Geoffrey team that has all the charm.
This is a very mild, light-hearted detective series. No violent crimes. Nothing Graphic. Just a few mysteries that need to be solved. Hetty's rates are down right bargain basement. She's doing this work for fun and to help people. Not a bad cause.
I enjoyed a few of these episodes of Series Two but won't rush out to see the other years' episode. It wasn't exciting entertainment but the series is pleasant. It's always nice to get to see the beautiful English countryside and villages.
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