Murderland
by David Pirie (ITV, 2009)
Robbie Coltrane, Bel Powley and Amanda Hale star in this well-cast, well-acted murder mystery, the ending of which doesn’t quite repay the viewer’s investment. The revisiting of shared scenes to contextualise them within each character’s story and perspective is a double-edged sword.
Murder Rooms (The Dark Beginnings of Sherlock Holmes)
by David Pirie (BBC, 2000-2001)
This cleverly written historical drama depicts a young Arthur Conan Doyle playing Watson to nascent Holmes figure Dr Joseph Bell (Doyle’s real-life tutor at Edinburgh University). Replete with Holmes-esque observational deductions, the feature-length mysteries are intriguing… but moreish at only six episodes.