4pc Box: Five Red Herrings - L

Lord Peter Wimsey (Ian Carmichael) and his manservant, Bunter (Glyn Houston), take a holiday in Scotland, but instead of spending his time fishing and playing the odd round of golf, Wimsey soon finds himself traipsing through the bracken in pursuit of a killer. It s a thankless task, really, considering that no one in town is sorry the victim is dead, one villager describes him as a bitterly unpopular man... with a permanent grudge against everybody. Six of the dead man s fellow artists have recently argued with him, and none has a satisfactory alibi. With the invaluable aid of Bunter--who somehow manages to do a considerable amount of sleuthing, win the heart of a local chambermaid, and still prepare a full dinner before his master s return each day--Wimsey must determine which five are red herrings, and which one is guilty. Two of the four one-hour episodes end in cliffhangers (one literally) that are guaranteed to have viewers popping in the next tape as soon as they can slide it out of the box. Carmichael easily slips from charming to cunning as the witty and quick-witted Wimsey, unfortunately, while both the acting and scenery are a pleasure to watch, the solution is ultimately disappointing--an anti-climactic conclusion to an otherwise enjoyable holiday in the world of Dorothy L. Sayers s creation. --Larisa Lomacky Moore

Well done Lord Peter Wimsey - Dorothy L. Sayers writes many non-fiction books however among her best is the Lord Peter Wimsey series. I came to this series sort of though the back door. My first taste was the BBC productions with Petherbridge as Lord Peter that can now be found on DVD ASIN: B000062XDX. So I read all of Dorothy s books containing the relationship of Lord Peter Wimsey and Harriet Vane. Now it is time to go through the whole series.Now I watched the one I missed on PBS. The first thing I notices was that Ian Carmichael talks much faster than Petherbridge. And all the people seem older. Of course Peter was supposed to be older when he met Harriet. Campbell a local artist is being obnoxious and makes everybody s life miserable. Let s face it Campbell needs killing. You guessed it, he seems to have had an accident while painting. Lord Peter deduces that the so called accident could only be staged by another painter. Yep there are six suspects and more if it is not a painter. So that leaves Five Red HerringsAs with all Sayers stories nothing is simple there are overlapping plots and foolish deeds, as if Peter can not figure them out. On the side we learn a little about Scottish society and see the landscape.They took the time to put just about everything relevant from the book in to this production. There were a few exceptions but not worth bothering about. The production is complete enough that you do not have to read the book. Yet you will want to for the differences and more dialogs.I am glad they finally made a DVD version. However the one I watched was the tape. This item is worth purchasing as you will want to replay it often.

Almost perfect mystery fun - The most entertaining mysteries for me are those in which the reader or viewer doesn t take the detective completely seriously. I guess I ll admit that Jeremy Brett s Holmes is an exception to that rule, but it usually holds. I love the slightly off kilter Poirot, Marple and this detective, Lord Peter Wimsey. Loved the books, loved the shows on PBS in the 70 s, of which this is one. Ian Carmichael is perfect as the aristocrat who sometimes seems like he couldn t tie his shoe without his valet, Bunter, and sometimes is most ably galloping across the countryside in pursuit of a clue or the criminal. Wimsey is a man who expects to be served and respected but also serves, namely the cause of justice. In this mystery he has six suspects and manages to figure out the amazingly convoluted way in which the killing was committed. I felt the recreation of the crime by Wimsey was a little long-winded and that is the reason why I did not rate this video a 5. The supporting cast are wonderful. The town where the death takes place is replete with the usual variety of eccentric folk that always turn up in these wimsical mysteries. Longer and not as gripping as the Brett Holmes dramas, a Wimsey video is a nice way to fill a leisurely afternoon.

Another hit! - My husband and I thoroughly enjoy all of the Peter Wimsey shows. This is another hit! In retrospect, however, I wish we had watched this show before Nine Tailors. My only concern, and the reason why I rated this a 4 instead of a 5, is this interpretation suggests Lord Peter may have an interest in a not quite of age teenager. Since, in the sequence of the stories, Lord Peter is already in love with Harriet, this is not only unlikely, but completely out of character. However, beyond this minor point, it is a very enjoyable story. Definitely a keeper.

Classic Stuff - Having read the Dorothy L. Sayers books after seeing this series, it is impossible to imagine anyone but Ian Carmichael playing Lord Peter Wimsey.The production values may not have been the BBC s best, but the characterisations are spot on. Sayer s plots may not be as involving as Agatha Christie s but her development of the cast raise her novels to a much higher level, and this is captured very well in The Five Red Herrings . Sayer s characters need time to breathe , unlike Christie s more shallow creations, and this series gives us the luxury to see Lord Peter and the wonderful Bunter, unravel the crime at a leisurely pace.Not for the video generation for sure, but for those who like their classic murder mystery done in the classic English fashion, this VCD is a must.The bonus of Ian Carmichael s thoughts on the series is a wonderful bonus

A Scottish right - It s terrific to have the Ian Carmichael series of Lord Peter Wimsey novels available on DVD, and I hope the rest of the original series will soon follow those now up. This one is excellent entertainment, and I have no criticism of the adaptation or the acting or the production. My only negative comment is that it would have made the DVD release more friendly if the episodes had been edited together, with credits shown only at the beginning and end of each disc. It s a nuisance to have to navigate around this stuff. The producers of the best ",Pride and Prejudice", did this to greatly improved presentation in its most recent release. I hope the Wimsey releases from Acorn will do it in the future.

4pc Box: Five Red Herrings - L