MS FISHER'S MODERN MURDER MYSTERIES: JUST MURDERED (CHANNEL SEVEN)

Melbourne in the 1960s. Peregrine Fisher, niece of the famous Australian detective Phryne Fisher, wants to become a sleuth too.

The bottom line: Phryne Doesn't Live Here Anymore.

Based on the Phryne Fisher Mystery books by Kerry Greenwood, the popular Australian period detective drama Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries ran from 2012 to 2015 on pubcaster ABC. Deb Cox and Fiona Eagger (East of Everything) developed the adaptation within their prodco Every Cloud Productions. Essie Davis (The Slap, Cloudstreet) starred as The Honourable Miss Phryne Fisher, a young, beautiful and wealthy socialite with many skills and talents who also had a knack for solving crimes. The free-spirited and intrepid Phryne (pronounced "Fry-knee") couldn't resist investigating murder mysteries with her maid Dorothy "Dot" Williams (Ashleigh Cummings). She was always ahead of Detective Inspector John "Jack" Robinson (Nathan Page) and Constable Hugh Collins (Hugo Johnstone-Burt).

Her aunt Prudence Stanley (Miriam Margolyes) disapproved her dashing lifestyle but Miss Fisher and Dot could always count on communist cabbies Albert "Bert" Johnson (Travis McMahon) and Cecil "Cec" Yates (Anthony Sharpe). Phryne's aptly named butler Mr Tobias Butler (Richard Bligh) managed the household to perfection and knew some things about horse racing and weapons. Dr. Elizabeth "Mac" Macmillan (Tammy Macintosh) was her confidante and the young Jane Ross (Ruby Rees-Wemyss) was her ward. Though Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries enjoyed three successful series and was sold all over the world, it wasn't renewed and Every Cloud Productions went on to make a feature film. Its financing was completed thanks to two crowdfunding campaigns and production of Miss Fisher and the Crypt of Tears started in Fall 2018 for an Australian release in 2019.

Now the Miss Fisher franchise welcomes Ms Fisher's Modern Murder Mysteries, a spin-off series set in 1964 Melbourne and starring Geraldine Hakewill (Wanted) as Phryne's niece Peregrine Fisher. Commercial broadcaster Channel Seven aired Just Murdered, the first of four 90-minute TV movies, on February 21. Peregrine inherits from her aunt, whom she never knew, when the famous sleuth goes missing over Papua New Guinea. Phryne Fisher was a member of The Adventuresses' Club of the Antipodes, a group of exceptional women headed by Birdie Birnside. When a top model is murdered during a fashion show, Peregrine Fisher decides to follow the footsteps of her illustrious relative. Much to the bewilderment of Detective James Steed and the irritation of his boss, Chief Inspector Percy Sparrow.

Ms Fisher's Modern Murder Mysteries is totally deprived of the charm and the dynamism of its predecessor. There's zero chemistry between the substitute to the Phryne Fisher and Jack Robinson duo. The other characters struggle to be remotely interesting. The simple presence of Essie Davis reminded of Diana Rigg in The Avengers while this spin-off has to insist on the name of "Detective J. Steed" to establish a kinship. Though Ms Fisher's Modern Murder Mysteries aspires to capture the spirit of some Spy-Fi shows of the 1960s era it actually shares a lot of similarities with the more fun French period crime comedy-drama Les petits meurtres d'Agatha Christie (Agatha Christie's Criminal Games, in Australia on SBS). In North America both Miss Fisher and the Crypt of Tears and Ms Fisher's Modern Murder Mysteries will be exclusives of the SVOD service Acorn TV.

Also starring Joel Jackson (Detective James Steed), Catherine McClements (Birdie Birnside), James Mason (Eric Wild), Toby Truslove (Samuel Birnside), Louisa Mignonne (Violetta Fellini), Greg Stone (Chief Inspector Sparrow), Katie Robinson (Constable Fleur Connor), Libby Tanner (Florence Astor), etc. A Screen Australia, Seven Network and Film Victoria presentation produced by Every Cloud Productions. Exec produced by Fiona Eagger, Deb Cox and Julie McGauran. Deb Frey produces. Music composed by Burkhard Dallwitz, Brett Aplin and Dimitri Golovko. Cinematography by Kathy Chambers. Production designed by Ben Bangay. Costumes designed by Maria Pattinson. Created by Deb Cox and Fiona Eagger. Written by Deb Cox and directed by Fiona Banks.

https://www.the-medium-is-not-enough.com/2019/02/review-ms-fishers-modern-murder-mysteries-seven.php
http://www.ladyteruki.com/2019/02/26/swinging-melbourne/ (In French)

MISS FISHER'S MURDER MYSTERIES - SERIES 2 (FRENCH REGION 2 DVD)

Melbourne at the end of the 1920s. The Honourable Miss Phryne Fisher (pronounced "Fry-Knee") is a young, beautiful and wealthy socialite with many skills and talents. This free-spirited and intrepid lady, who drives her own Hispano-Suiza motor car, is also a brilliant private detective. 

The second series of Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries is available on DVD in France since last August thanks to Koba Films.

« Hello Jack. Oh, come on. You'd be disappointed if I didn't show. »

Based on the books by Kerry Greenwood, Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries is an Australian period detective drama launched in February 2012 on pubcaster ABC1 and starring Essie Davis (The Slap) in the title role. Deb Cox and Fiona Eagger (East of Everything) developed the adaptation within their prodco Every Cloud Productions for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries is aired in France on France 3 as Miss Fisher enquête. Always ahead of Detective Inspector John "Jack" Robinson (Nathan Page) and Constable Hugh Collins (Hugo Johnstone-Burt), Miss Fisher cannot resist solving crimes with her devout Catholic maid Dorothy "Dot" Williams (Ashleigh Cummings) and communist cab drivers Albert "Bert" Johnson (Travis McMahon) and Cecil "Cec" Yates (Anthony Sharpe).

Phryne Fisher's aptly named butler Mr Butler (Richard Bligh) manages the household with absolute efficiency and knows some things about horse racing and weapons. Prudence Stanley (the great Miriam Margolyes), her aunt, is a reputation-conscious society matron. Series 2 of Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries (13 one-hour episodes) opens with Phryne helping Jack  to clear the name of his ex-father-in-law, Deputy Commissioner George Sanderson (Neil Melville), who's the key suspect in the murder of a prostitute. Miss Fisher's others mysteries include a murder in a fashion house, the apparent suicide of a rugby team captain, the suspicious car accident of an accomplished female racing driver, the death of an actor on a movie set, a deadly war between radio stations and newspapers, etc.

« That's remarkable. 
- Thank you. You should see what I can do with a garter. »

Murder Under the Mistletoe, a one-hour Christmas special, concludes perfectly an overall excellent second series of this popular show sold in more than 120 countries. Production values are high and the whodunits are enjoyable. The stunning Essie Davis reminds of Diana Rigg in The Avengers and The Mrs Bradley Mysteries. She and the excellent Nathan Page make the rivalry/attraction relationship between Phryne Fisher and Jack Robinson worthy of the Golden age of Hollywood. Dan Wyllie (Underbelly), Heather Mitchell (The Great Gatsby), Robert Morgan, David Field, James Saunders and John Noble (Fringe) are some of the guest stars. Tammy McIntosh is back as Dr. Elizabeth "Mac" Macmillan and Ruby Rees-Wemyss returns as Jane, Phryne's ward. Dee Smart plays Jack Robinson's ex-wife Rosie.

The musical ambiance is brought by standards of the era and original compositions by Greg J. Walker. The gorgeous title sequence was designed by Donna McCrum and Andy Canny for Plus Films. Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries is produced in association with Film Victoria, Screen Australia and the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. It is distributed by All3Media International. Fiona Eagger, Deb Cox, Carole Sklan and Sue Masters exec produce. Fiona Eagger is the producer. Series 2 is in a 4-disc DVD set with its French dubbing and, most fortunately, the original dialogue track - subtitled in French or not.

Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries will return on France 3 at the end of this month with its third series. In October Koba Films released a a DVD box set with the first two series.

http://www.kobafilms.fr/catalogue/miss-fisher-enquete---saison-2-450.html
http://www.kobafilms.fr/coffret/miss-fisher-enquete---saisons-1-et-2-469.html
http://phrynefisher.com/
http://thefabulousmissfisher.blogspot.com/

See also:

http://indaily.com.au/ispy/2015/11/25/miss-fishers-murder-mysteries-exhibition-opening/
http://tattard2.blogspot.fr/2013/09/miss-fishers-murder-mysteries-series-1.html (Series 1 French Region 2 DVD review)

MISS FISHER'S MURDER MYSTERIES - SERIES 1 (FRENCH REGION 2 DVD)

Melbourne, 1928. The Honourable Miss Phryne Fisher is a young, beautiful and wealthy socialite with many skills and talents. This free-spirited and intrepid lady also has a knack for solving crimes. Phryne (pronounced "Fry-knee") cannot resist investigating murder mysteries with her maid Dot, cabbies Cec and Bert, and her best friend Dr "Mac".

Her aunt, Prudence Stanley, disapproves her dashing lifestyle while DI Jack Robinson and Constable Collins are bewildered by her regular intrusions on crime scenes.

Based on the books by Kerry Greenwood, Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries is an Australian period detective drama launched in February 2012 on pubcaster ABC1 and starring Essie Davis (The Slap, Cloudstreet) in the title role. Deb Cox and Fiona Eagger (East of Everything) developed the adaptation within their prodco Every Cloud Productions for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries is aired in the U.K. on Alibi and in France on France 3 as Miss Fisher enquête. The 13 one-hour episodes of its first series are now available there on DVD from Koba Films. 

« Miss Fisher, I appreciate your curiosity for crime.
- Well, every lady needs a hobby. »

Phryne Fisher comes back in Australia after years abroad to ensure that Murdoch Foyle (Nicholas Bell), whom she holds responsible for the disappearance of her younger sister, stays in prison. Her return to the Melbourne society alongside her reputation-conscious aunt Prudence (the great British actress Miriam Margolyes) starts with a luncheon canceled because of a suspicious death. Soon Phryne is confronted with illegal abortionists, a cocaine smuggling ring, and a handsome Russian dancer. Always ahead of Detective Inspector John "Jack" Robinson (Nathan Page, seen in Underbelly) and Constable Hugh Collins (Hugo Johnstone-Burt), The Honourable Miss Fisher loves a mystery and becomes a private detective.

« Another murder, no less.
- Let's not make a habit of it. »

« I haven't taken anything seriously since 1918. » Her devil-may-care attitude hides a strong sense of justice and a great generosity both built on her own tough background. She hires working-class devout Catholic Dorothy "Dot" Williams (Ashleigh Cummings) as her maid though Dot is afraid of electricity and the telephone! She wants to adopt the young and street smart Jane (Ruby Rees-Wemyss) and enlists communist cabbie duo Albert "Bert" Johnson (Travis McMahon) and Cecil "Cec" Yates (Anthony Sharpe). Phryne's aptly named butler Mr Tobias Butler (Richard Bligh) manages the household to perfection. Dr. Elizabeth "Mac" Macmillan (Tammy Macintosh) is her confidante.

« Where would you like it? In the head or in the heart? The head's better for you, but more mess for me. Though I'm running low on ammunition and I'd rather save my last bullet. »

On the Ballarat train, at the hottest dancehall in town, in a theatre, a factory, or driving her own Hispano-Suiza motor car, nothing can stop the daring Miss Fisher. With a budget reportedly of $1 million per episode, Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries spares no expense to recreate Melbourne in the late 1920s. The costumes (around 120 just for Phryne) and sets are lavish, the locations are classy. Astute visual effects add a luxury liner or erase modern skyline when necessary. The musical ambiance of the era is brought by the presence of Ben Selvin, Duke Ellington or Fletcher Henderson in the soundtrack. But also by original compositions like the theme intro by the series' music composer Greg J. Walker or Mr Music Man by Harry James Angus (Jack Irish).

« Obviously her blue period.
- Blue seems to have been her colour till the bitter end. »

Those ingredients would be enough to enjoy the comfort of those cosy whodunits adapted by head writer Deb Cox and her team (Elizabeth Coleman, Michael Miller, etc) but Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries delivers more. Essie Davis is stunning and reminds of Diana Rigg in The Avengers and The Mrs Bradley Mysteries. She and the excellent Nathan Page make the rivalry/attraction relationship between Phryne and "You might as well call me Jack" worthy of the Golden age of Hollywood. Although not serialized, the series has enough secondary storylines to gain the fidelity of viewers: the blossoming romance of Dot and Hugh, the family matters of Lin Chung (Philippe Sung) - Phryne's lover, and above all, the Murdoch Foyle arc.

« A bit of hush now, ladies and gents! Feel the spirit move. Will she be there or won't she, folks? Can we bring her back, or have we lost her to the great black beyond? »

The three episodes concluding this pleasant first series are surprisingly effective, taking the characters on a little (but not too much) darker territory against the sinister Foyle. Series 1 of Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries is in a 4-disc DVD set with its French dubbing and, most fortunately, the original dialogue track - subtitled in French or not. Bonus material includes (among other things) interviews with the cast, Kerry Greenwood, and the crew or featurettes about the train and the Hispano-Suiza. Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries is produced in association with Screen Australia and Film Victoria. It is distributed by All3Media International. Fiona Eagger, Deb Cox, Carole Sklan and Christopher Gist exec produce. Fiona Eagger and Deb Cox produce.

The gorgeous title sequence is from Plus Films. Miranda Otto (Cashmere Mafia), Wendy Hughes (Return to Eden), Peter O'Brien, and Joel Tobeck (Tangle, This Is Not My Life) are some of the guest stars. Series 2 started in Australia on ABC1 this month. Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries is one of the two brilliant Australian recent contributions to the detective drama genre, with The Doctor Blake Mysteries (also aired by ABC1).

http://www.kobafilms.fr/serie/miss-fisher-enquete (In French)
http://www.phrynefisher.com/
http://www.everycloudproductions.com.au/
http://www.abc.net.au/tv/phrynefisher/
http://www.eveninghour.org/2012/05/soundtrack-review-miss-fishers-murder-mysteries-music-from-the-television-series-2012/ (Soundtrack review)