10. Jonathan Creek

An A to Z of UK Television Drama

In this tenth edition of the podcast Andy and Martin go back to the late Nineties and the Noughties when Jonathan Creek was one of the most popular dramas on TV with its mix of the macabre, murder and magic. Created and written by David Renwick the series was more of a 'Howdunnit' than a 'Whodunnit' and starred Alan Davies in the title role. Over 5 series and several memorable feature-length specials Jonathan Creek aired between 1997 and 2016. At first Davies was joined by Caroline Quentin as Maddy Magellan. After the first two series she was replaced by Julia Sawalha as Carla Borrego, then Sheridan Smith as Joey Ross, and finally Sarah Alexander as his wife Polly Creek. In order to explore and review the world of Jonathan Creek, Andy and Martin watched 5 of the series 32 episodes including the opening two episodes: The Wrestler's Tomb and Jack in the Box, the final episode of series two: Mother Redcap (or as Martin prefers: Mother Redknapp!), and two of the most memorable specials: Satan's Chimney and The Grinning Man. Along the way they appraise the difficult genre of the comedy drama, rail against the series terrible sexism and homophobia, and complain about the tackiness of Adam Klaus. However, they still find much to enjoy, especially the terrifying bath sequence in The Grinning Man and the many excellent guest appearances by Doctor Who actors. Next time: Karaoke