Bookish

I really enjoyed the first two episodes, or rather the first case. First, we learn about the bookstore and the area, as well as the main characters. The pacing is well-chosen; above all, you can enjoy the series, and the locations are very interesting. I really enjoyed the whole case. I especially loved the flashbacks, as they reminded me of Agatha Christie's films. The resolution wasn't predictable for me, and there were a few twists and turns. The camera work was okay and I also liked the editing. The character development was very good, especially for some of the main characters. I give it 9 out of 10, and I'm looking forward to the second case.

Bet you never thought you'd hear anyone say that about any programme, let alone a mystery penned by the usually very reliable Mark Gatiss. The premise is great: book shop owner with lavender marriage solves mysteries in post-war London, but everything is just so slow. The stories creep along at the pace of the encroaching London smog. And London is not London, so there's a fair bit of not very good AI making the streets look a little less Belgian, where it was actually filmed. On top of that, there are some very dodgy accents - the Turkish girl's comes straight out of 2020s Top Boy - and the while thing is filmed in a washed out, over exposed palette. It's a real shame as I was looking forward to this. In the battle of the afternoon TV Marks, it's a win for Mr. Williams.

I'm not a fan of everything that Mark Gatiss has been in, like "Moonflower Murders" or the "Sherlock Holmes" series, but I did enjoy "Bookish". I've always been a fan of Polly Walker from "Enchanted April" to "Bridgerton", she's great in any role. And Connor Finch is a nice addition.

It's a very English detective series, something to relish like an Agatha Christie mystery. You just need a cup of tea and some biscuits and a comfortable chair. Trottie and Gabriel's lavender marriage wasn't that unique, it had a name. The episodes are different, not recycled plots that have been done before.

It's already been renewed for a 2nd season. I hope season 2 has 8 episodes instead of 6. It's a different take on the amateur detective genre and worth a second season.

This show is really not very good.

Dreadfully annoying theme tune and incidental music.

Camp, over-the-top acting from half the cast.

Bad, wooden acting from the other half.

Woefully poor, stilted dialogue.

Plots that think they are clever but are just silly nonsense.

The set design is pretty good though.

I find very climactic the already well-known British device of presenting the episodes with an initial sequence apparently not related to the main timeline, but whose relevance will later be revealed (see Vera, Endeavour and many etcs.) This is, to me, the 'antipasto' for a most palatable 'crime dinnertime'.

I warn against the not-very-realistic reviews of people who don't even deign themselves to watch a full first episode and, based on a few minutes of hasty viewing, mark poorly a whole season or the show altogether. If you will take the time and trouble to write a review, at least take the time and trouble to see the whole season first. Otherwise, what worth is there in assessing something you haven't actually watched?

For those who have really watched Bookish, the experience seems to have been delightful. And Mark Gatiss plus Polly Walker, what a fantastic cast. A crowd-pleaser of course, but always delivering!

I liked the atmosphere, the bookish thing in itself, the character development and the 'magnetic' traction of the show, which drew myself in from the very beginning. So what else can I do other than recommend it, especially for those lovers of British crime series.