Jonathan Creek

Yes, I admit it, all my comments here are coloured by the fact that I loved this high quality, well written, funny, intelligent, crime-drama-comedy show since the pilot episode (The Wrestler's Tomb).

Jonathan Creek is one great show: seemingly impossible murder mysteries combined with an interesting sexual tension between the two leads (at least, it was in the first 3 series when we had Maddy, not that I disapprove of Julia Sawalha) and some good comedy. The writing was great, the acting was likewise, and the show saw Alan Davies become a new "thinking woman's sex symbol" almost overnight. :P

But seriously, Jonathan Creek deserves not only its BAFTA but also a place in the UKTV hall of fame.

I never miss an episode of Jonathan Creek. This is one show that captures your attention from start to finish. It is brilliantly written, and equally brilliantly acted by both actors playing Jonathan and Maddie. I hope that this mystery is around for a long, long time. It would be a shame for it to end. It is better than any show made in the U. S., and the only one that comes close to it as far as total entertainment is CSI.

LONG LIVE JONATHAN CREEK!!!!!!

I was hooked on this programme when it first came out and now I have it on DVD, I can see just how fantastic this series is. Its a completely different take on the usual crime solving programme and the solutions to puzzles are absolutely amazing. I was constantly baffled and thought it was very clever the way Jonathan worked out some of the clues. Alan Davies and Caroline Quentin were absolutely fantastic in their parts, and I thought perfect for their roles. When Julia Sawahla replaced Caroline, I was dubious at first but she too was great in her role, despite not being the ultimate replacement for Caroline. I did not think any of the mysteries were at all daft, just very very clever and the chemistry between Alan and Caroline was fantastic.

The guest stars were great in their roles, Annette Crosbie was particularly good in the House of Monkeys episode and it was a joy to see Bill Bailey pop up in the later series. I think, providing the mysteries keep coming, this programme can continue for maybe one or two series more.

This has to be the best series made by the BBC for many years. The stories are well written, the acting by Alan Davies is great considering he's a comedian rather than a proper actor. The stories keep you on the edge of your seat and guessing till the very end.

The earlier episodes are the best with Caroline Quentin as his tough as nails sidekick. The more recent episodes with Julia Sawalha from ab-fab fame are still good but they have become more predictable and silly at times - with the writers seeming to run out of ideas and Davies seems to be getting bored with it all, which is a shame because theseries is one of the most watched shows in Britain and is a change from the usual mind-numbing Saturday night crap:Pop idol, Blind date, Lotto show, casualty and many others.

Please let this show continue for many years to come!

My rating for earlier episodes 1997-2000:-10/10

MY rating for recent episodes 2001-present :- 8.5/10

Overall 9/10

I think Jonathan Creek is a wonderful show. The mysteries are excellent, much better than boring police dramas, and the charaterisation is superb. Obviously some episodes are better than others, but they are always good.

I can't really see many reasons for people not liking the show. It's funny and cerebral at the same time which keeps you interested, also the way the story builds up very slowly is clever. The clues are always there for you to see, but I rarely ever get the mysteries before Jonathan tells me at the end. Jonathan and Maddy are the best team, and hopefully the next series will feature mainly Jonathan and Maddy solving the mysteries.